A Spartan's War
by Masterful-Mind
Summary: The Human-Covenant War has many battles with unexpected allies and enemies. When Blue Team gains a green recruit and an important mission to capture an assault carrier takes an unprecedented turn, the team of Spartans and their new allies must adapt to survive. EliteOC x SpartanOC Does not directly follow the games/books timelines-AU
1. A New Spartan

_A Spartan's War_

A/N: I'm making some pretty big character changes! Jessie is going to be more tolerant, I felt she was a character that was easy to dislike, and Tiffany will be less of a bitch, more oblivious. Jess will also be somewhat more lenient about being touched, if she initiates the contact, then all is well. Jessie will also be more neutral about John [going back to my indecisiveness about who I want to pair her with].

_**This chapter has been edited as of Aug.2011**_

**Chapter 1: The New Spartan**

_**PILLAR OF AUTUMN**_**-05:30 HOURS**

Jessie-057 punched her alarm clock again. The constant beeping stilled and she sighed. Spartans were only allowed six hours of sleep. She rolled over and rubbed her eyes, encouraging them to wake along with the rest of her body. Jessie sat up and slowly set her bare feet on the cold alloy floor of her quarters. She pulled her fingers through her matted hair and paced over to the bathroom, yawning.

Jessie squinted her eyes at her early morning reflection in the mirror. She ran a comb quickly through her tasseled dark blonde curls. She needed to see a barber, she could barely stuff her hair under her helmet, now that the curls ended at the middle of her neck.

Her dark blue eyes hinted at the extra sleep her body wished it could get and her lips were slightly chapped. The Spartan had pale skin, the result of constantly wearing heavy armor and rarely seeing the sun. Her face still looked unemotional at the early hour and young. She chewed her lower lip, a nervous habit she had, and removed her sleep shirt. The number _057 _was tattooed on both her upper biceps. She stood at 6' 7" when out of her armor and close to 6' 10" when in her MJOLNIR armor. Scar tissue covered her body from the augmentation process and many new, angry red scars lanced her body as a monument to all the battle she had participated in.

The Petty Officer pulled on a pair of dark grey pants and a black fatigue shirt with the letters _UNSC_ emblazoned in light grey across the chest. She grabbed her ID tags and roped them around her neck, black silencers keeping the tags quiet as the settled on her chest. Jessie then pulled on a pair of worn black boots.

_**PILLAR OF AUTUMN**_**-07:50 HOURS**

Jessie entered her room for the second time that morning. She had been in and out of meetings all morning. Blue Team's most recent mission the topic of discussion.

"Jessie?" Cortana's voice echoed in her room. "Chief needs you on the deck. The new team member is due to arrive today." Codes flowed over Cortana's pastel blue image. She daintily sat down on the hologram emitter.

"What squad is the Spartan being transferred from?" Jessie brushed her hair behind an ear.

"That is something for you to take up with John. 10 minutes. The bridge." Cortana's image flickered and the Smart AI's form disappeared. Jessie removed her fatigues and donned her UNSC uniform. She turned the light off and walked out into the starship's hallways.

"Hey, Jess! You hear about the new Spartan?" Frederic-104 came up from behind Jessie and then walker next to her.

"Let's just hope he's better then you and Will put together." She playfully teased her teammate. His eyes danced with laughter and he brushed a lock of black hair streaked with silver out of his eye. He chuckled, but cut short when a group of ODSTs stepped into the empty hall.

"What do they want?" The two Spartans stopped walking. As did the six Orbital Drop Shock Troopers.

"What do you think you are doing down here, _freaks_?" The tallest ODST asked.

"We don't have time for this." Jessie said.

"Just tell us what you want. We have places to go and people to see." Fred didn't have time to deal with angry Helljumpers now.

"One of my men has been pulled from duty to recover from injuries inflicted by one of you," He pointed a long finger at the super-soldier. "The big one with no expressions," He crossed his arms across his chest. "And you, _057_, have beaten up one two many ODSTs." He flicked his chin at Jessie.

"So what? We've taken a few of you on." Jessie said. Fred turned slightly and saw the pissed Helljumpers move a little closer.

_**PILLAR OF AUTUMN**_**-08:30 HOURS**

John-117, the Master Chief, sighed and looked at the military clock sitting above one of the computer terminals in the bridge. It read 0830 hours. Where were Fred and Jessie! They were late, but the Pelican with the new Spartan was just as fashionably late.

Dr. Halsey noticed his irritation and said, "Don't worry, John. They'll be here." She folded her hands in her lap and turned her gaze to the door.

"I hope they hurry up and get here." William-043 picked at the front of his uniform.

"Maybe you should go look for them, William." Will made a face when Dr. Halsey used his full name.

"With all due respect, Doctor. I don't want another Spartan to go missing before the Pelican shows up." John smiled briefly and turned around when Cortana came to life on the hologram emitter.

"They're coming, Chief, but they ran into a little trouble on the way here." Cortana placed her hands on her holographic hips and turned a lighter shade of blue.

"Trouble? Care to explain, Cortana?" John rubbed his temples in frustration. His whole morning had been frustrating and he didn't need it to get any worse.

"Ask them yourself." Cortana motioned to the far door with one hand. Fred and Jessie came in, straightening their uniforms and moving around the men on the bridge until they came to the small alcove the rest of their team was waiting in.

"Where have you two been? You're a half hour late!" John spread his arms.

"We were on our way here, but we ran into a group of Helljumpers who are angry at you." Jessie admitted.

"What makes you think it's the Chief?" Fred asked.

"What makes you think it isn't the Chief?" John raised an eyebrow as he was thrown out of the conversation. Fred was about to say something to the Master Chief, mouth open to expel words, when the large door across from them opened. An alabaster girl walked out followed by Captan Jacob Keyes.

"John-117, Frederic-104, William-043, Jessie -057, this is Tiffany-126." The Spartans snapped to attention and Tiffany followed slowly. Keyes saluted back and they stood at ease.

"Tiffany, this is Blue Team. You will serve alongside the Master Chief and his squad." Captain Keyes said.

"Why don't you all go down to the barracks and get used to each other?" Dr. Halsey and Captain Keyes left the alcove. Halsey heading back to her lab and Keyes back to his post on the bridge.

_**PILLAR OF AUTUMN**_**-09:00 HOURS**

The five super-soldiers entered the barracks and Will turned on the lights. Jess turned to look at Tiffany.

She was young and her body showed the telltale signs of Spartan augmentation. She had bright pink straight hair that was cut in a bob that stopped at the bottom of her ears. The girl also had large brown doe eyes. Disturbed, she noticed the girl had her uniform unbuttoned enough to show a little bit of cleavage under the tank top beneath the jacket.

Jess sat down on one of the bottom bunks and braced her elbows on her knees. She watched her new team member looked over her new squad.

"So do you guys go by ranks, names, number, or what?" Tiffany looked to Jessie when she asked her question.

"John goes by Chief, Fred, Will, and I by our names. Technicians tend to call us by number, and troops call us 'Spartan' or by our rank." Jessie explained.

"Oh. What's your name?" Tiffany sat down on a bunk and gracefully crossed her legs.

"Jessie."

"Oh! Really? I thought is was someone else on the team. You do know you have a boys name, right?" Tiffany said with a flourish of her left hand.

"Excuse me?" Jess raised her eyebrows and stared at the girl in front of her. "You want to say that again?" She pushed, jaw muscles tightening a bit.

"Knock it off." John turned to the two women, aiming his comment at the blonde woman. "Tiffany, it is nice to have another Spartan at our disposal."

The woman blinked slowly. "You must be John." She stood up and extended her hand to him. He took it and shook warmly. She then moved on to introduce herself and shake hands with Will and Fred. When she sat down again, she just smirked and looked over to Jessie.

What was the woman's problem? Jessie leaned her head back against the wall, not caring to listen as Tiffany told her story to the three captivated men. Something about the new Spartan just seemed, off.

_**PILLAR OF AUTUMN-**_**10:00 HOURS**

As Blue Team began to file out of the room, their little meet and greet session over, Tiffany called out to Jess.

"Would you stay for a moment?" She hadn't moved from her position on one of the beds.

"Sure. What do you want."

"Some girl to girl time."

"I don't do much of that." Jessie slowly settled into a seat.

"So, are you with any of them?" Jessie instantly knew she was questioning the status of the men she worked with.

"No. I'm not _with _any of them. No other man either."

"Good." Tiffany practically purred. "That means I don't have to worry about you."

"Worry about me? I know you don't mean that in context of a battlefield." Jessie wasn't really good at all the 'girl talk'.

"The Master Chief is quiet the catch is he not? Just a word of advice, but if you know what's best for you, you'll keep your distance from him." She reached forward and patted Jessie's knee. She pulled her leg away.

"Don't touch me." She said slowly.

"Touchy are we?" Tiffany deliberately reach forward once again and settled her hand on Jess' shoulder before she swatted it off with a smack.

"So fragile." Tiffany clucked her tongue three times then stood and left the room with a little wiggle of her fingers in a small wave.

Jessie knew Tiffany was going to be a pain in the ass.

**Okay, compared to the old version of this chapter, it changed quiet a lot. Please deal with me as I try and reconfigure this story, it doesn't seem right to me at the moment. 1-9 need some major work.**

**-Masterful-Mind**


	2. Midnight Meeting

_A Spartan's War_

_**This chapter has been edited as of Aug.2011**_

**Chapter 2: Midnight Meeting**

_**PILLAR OF AUTUMN**_**-12:00 HOURS**

John walked down the long hallways of the _**Pillar of Autumn**_ until he found himself in front of room 57. He knocked, but no answer came from inside. John knocked again, a little louder than the last, and he heard a muffled, "Come in."

He opened the door and slid inside. The room was dimly lit and warm. He closed the door quietly and allowed his eyes to adjust from the harsh hall lights to the soft glow of the room.

Jessie was sitting at her desk, data pads cluttering the entire surface. She set the one she was reading down. She must have been filing a report based on the amount of 'pads she had with her.

"What can I do for you, Chief?" She turned to face him.

"I came to see how you are doing."

"I'm fine."

"You okay with Tiffany? Did you finally decide to make a friend and play nicely?" He leaned against the wall.

"Eh, she's different. There's something about her I don't like. Something that gets under my skin." Jessie shrugged.

"She asked you to stay after we finished talking with her. What was that all about?"

"She wanted from 'girl time' to talk to me one-on-one. Lucky bastards, you, Fred, and Will got out of it." She moved a data pad to make for her elbow.

"Does she know-" Jess cut him off.

"Yes, she does. She touched me, I told her no, she did it again, little bitch." She paused then looked up at John. "You came here to talk to me to make sure I don't kill your little admirer." she accused.

John ignored her last statement and said, "Cortana and I did a bit of research on Tiffany. She is no Spartan. She might have gone through the augmentation, but that was because her Father paid big bucks for her to become a super-solider, and then again for her to be put on my team." He paused and let Jessie take in the first bit of information.

"I wouldn't have guessed. Money. If you have money, you can go anywhere in the world." She shook her head disappointedly. "And what kind of father does that to his kid?"

"Her Father and Mother are millionaires on Earth and the war hasn't done a thing to affect them. She was warped ideas about the roles men and women play and is new to the whole Human-Covenant War thing. Don't let her get under your skin, Jess." John shifted his position on the wall.

"Tiffany has handled a gun, but she has only dealt with dummy targets let alone a person or Elite. She'll be easy prey when we compete with Tango. Tell me you'll watch out for her. You are the best at stealth and surprise." He explained.

"Wait. We have a capture the flag game? I thought that was only for trainees?"

"Tango Company has received a large batch of replacements and Mendez wants us to help them learn a thing or two about the finer points of fighting someone stronger and smarter than you. I learned of the game on Reach a day ago. I should have told the squad sooner."

Why me?" She turned back to the previous topic of aiding Tiffany during their time on Reach.

"Do it for me, Jess?"

"I'll do it, but only for you not her. I could care less if she was captured and not the flag. Tango Company will be craving a chance to get back at us. They'll probably beat whoever they capture and use live-fire rounds."

"Probably. Hey, you hungry? Want to go to the mess?" John straightened and offered, realizing they had pretty much exhausted their conversation topic.

"Yeah." Jessie straightened her shirt and joined John.

_**PILLAR OF AUTUMN**_**-1:00 HOURS**

John and Jessie had almost made it to the mess when Tiffany appeared on the Master Chief's other side. She seemed to be in an abnormally jolly mood when she greeted Jessie.

"Hey, Jess." She half smirked and half smiled at Jessie.

"Don't calm me that." She said slowly.

"Why not, Jess? You can call me Tif." She smirked again.

"I don't want to call you Tif and you don't know me well enough to call me Jess." Jess' jaw clenched a bit.

"You are so rude!" Tiffany widened her brown doe eyes at Jessie.

"Do you need something else from me?" said Jessie, sounding annoyed.

"I was going to-"

"You have something in your hair." Jess said before Tiffany could finish her excuse of why she needed to be with the Master Chief at this time of night.

Tiffany screeched and streaked down the hall, looking for a mirror.

"What was that for?" John questioned.

"She was annoying me." He watched her tighten one hand into a fist.

_**PILLAR OF AUTUMN**_**-1:10 HOURS**

Jess slid into the bench opposite Fred and Will as John went to sit next to the other men.

"What are you two doing up this late?" Jessie asked Fred and Will.

"I could ask you two the same question." Will said.

"We got hungry." John responded and picked at the food in front of him.

"Where is Tiffany?" Fred asked.

"I told her there was something in her hair and she freaked out and had to go find a mirror.

"You don't like her do you?" Fred took a drink from his water bottle.

"Can we talk about something other than Tiffany and why I hate her so much?" Jess rested her elbows on the table.

"Sure how about the ODSTs you and Fred ran into today." Will offered.

John listened silently as the three discussed the Helljumpers that were mad at Jess for beating them all up and the ODST John almost killed a month and a half ago.

His thoughts were on the upcoming Capture the Flag game. He would have to do his usual responsibilities and get used to the layout of Reach again. They were going to be wearing minimal Marine armor, but they would still have to make timed moves and not make suicide runs. What he really pondered on was preventing Tiffany from walking Jess into danger or a trap, talking the whole way pissing the poor girl off and Jess using Tiffany as a living shield.

"Chief?" Will waved his hands in front of his eyes.

"You were spacing." Fred recalled.

"I was just thinking about the Capture the Flag game. Don't use Tiffany as a living shield, okay?" He looked at Jessie when he said it.

"If you say so. I can't wait to see her reaction when we hand her a gun and she sees us in our true nature. She will be out of her element and a weakness, though." Jessie thought aloud.

" I wonder if Tango's even going to try. If we could beat them at 14 when they were using live-fire rounds, how could they expect a win now? We are bigger, stronger, and more war-hardened than before." Will pointed out.

"Live-fire rounds? What are those?" Tiffany slid into the spot on the bench next to Jessie.

"Fatal rounds. Bullets that can kill you, not knock you out cold like training rounds." Jessie answered and rolled her eyes.

"So if they use bullets in games, what do the enemies use ?" She asked innocently.

"Super heated plasma gas and many more methods that your little pink head couldn't handle." Jess looked straight over Will's shoulder at the wall, her chin still resting on her fists and her elbows on the table.

"But we could die trying to get the flag! And the aliens could kill us real easy!" She exclaimed.

"Exactly. The Covenant wants to kill us and us them." Jessie's knuckles started turning white as more of Tiffany's stupidity showed. Tiffany's doe eyes turned on Jess and she glared at her.

"How many aliens have you killed? I don't think many, they are so much stronger than us." Tiffany commented. Jessie just grunted in response before Fred answered.

"I'd be more worried about yourself. The Covenant has a knack for picking out the new meat in a squad and focusing on them." He said to her before standing and bidding good night.

"Too much drama for me. I'm gonna hit the hay." Will rubbed his eyes and followed Fred from the mess. Jessie glanced at Tiffany over her knuckles.

"Are you going to lead the team in this um…capture the flag game?" Tiffany crossed her legs and batted her eyes at the Chief.

He straightened in his seat and turned to look at Tiffany. "Yes, I will. I will work with one other Spartan and give instructions via com." He tilted his head a bit. Jessie just rolled her eyes.

"Good. But what happens if one of us gets captured by the other team?" Tiffany feigned a look of slight horror, hands spread on the table.

"Then the team will make an effort to get the other back." He smiled calmly. She smiled and batted her eyelashes again.

"Okay, you two enjoy your little chit-chat. I'm going to leave before things get mushy." Jessie pushed open the mess hall door and let it close behind her. Letting out a huff of air at Tiffany's little act with the Chief.

**Please leave a review!**


	3. Touch

_A Spartan's War_

_**This chapter has been edited as of Aug.2011**_

**Chapter 3: Touch**

_**PILLAR OF AUTUMN**_**-06:00 HOURS**

Jess pulled on her black and green workout clothes and walked out into the slightly crowded hallway. Some of the Marines moved out of her way and others continued on with their business. When she noticed the ODST Logan and his gang from the other day, she turned down a deserted hall. They followed her.

"What do you want?" She continued walking and addressed the man following her. Logan didn't answer her so she glanced behind; the remaining four ODSTs had made a line blocking the hallways exit and Logan was following her at a slow pace.

"You and that other freak ran away yesterday before I was done with you." Logan spat.

"Well I'm sorry we had to leave. We had places to go." Jessie stopped and turned around.

"Ya know how I said you've beaten up too many of my men? It just so happens that your most recent victim was my little brother. He may be discharged, and you? No punishment at all!" He paced towards her. He was shorter than Jess by five inches, but he was an older man, making his presence seem bigger.

"I think you're in need of a little lesson, not to beat ODSTs up. We travel in packs and out bite is worse than our bark." Logan punched Jess in the gut. She doubled over and he grabbed her head. She instantly began to struggle as soon as his hands came in contact with her. He brought his knee up in her face and she socked his ear. As soon as he let her go, she launched a full-scale attack.

"Never touch me." She growled as Logan crumpled after a hard blow to the back of the head. He stood back up, but she kicked him down again. She bent down and hauled him into a sitting position by the collar of his shirt. He coughed up blood and it splattered on her hands.

"Get out of my sight." She dropped him and he made one last attempt to punch her, but his little gang told him not to.

"Come on, Logan! Lets get out of here." The ODSTs melted back into the crowded hall. Jess meandered farther away and slid down the wall in the darkest part of the corridor. She held her hands up to her face and let the blood run down her fingers and onto the floor. The Master Chief had told her not to get into anymore fights or she would have a chance of getting discharged. And what did she do? Beat another ODST until he coughed blood. She sighed and leaned her head against the wall.

"_Great. This is just turning into a perfect day isn't it?"_ She thought to herself.

_**PILLAR OF AUTUMN-**_**07:10 HOURS**

Tiffany-126 meandered down the hall at the slow pace, hips swaying and short, straight pink hair cupping her face. She took in the environment around her, seeing the Marines at their stations and the runners going back and forth between destinations with messages in hand. She slid the tips of her hands into the small pockets on her tight pants, toying with the dog tags in the right pocket. She blew a lock of hot pink bangs out of her face and contemplated putting her dog tags back on.

They were loud and annoying. She wore her UNSC tank top so low that if she wore the identification tags, they would get lodged in her exposed cleavage and become bothersome, not that she disliked the attention it drew.

Moistening her plump lips, she glanced around for door number 117. Only seeing 95 through 105, she kept along her merry way. Her thin form continuing on down the hall. Tiffany knew her body along would bring the men around, but she couldn't help but add make up to the mix. Tiffany stopped just long enough to fix her mascara and blush, she may be in the military now, but that didn't mean she had to stop looking pretty.

A few minutes later, she approached door 117. She rapped lightly on the door with her knuckles, waiting for an answer.

"It's open. Come on in." A deep, velvet voice said from the depths beyond the door. Putting on an innocent face and a small smile, the doe eyed girl walked into the room.

John's room was a little cooler than the rest of the ship and Tiffany appreciated the absence of heat.

The Master Chief looked up from the report he was filling to Tiffany who now stood by the door.

Tiffany took a moment to take John in. He had high cheekbones and a strong face with deep brown eyes and defined lips. His hair was a little shaggy from helmet abuse and a light shade of brown that changed in the light. John had the huge, muscular 6' 11" frame that would make any girl melt and a lovely deep voice the reverberated inside you.

"Hey." She said smoothly.

"Hey, Tiffany. How are you adjusting?" He set down the file of papers and motioned for her to sit on the bed as he readjusted his chair to face her. Tiffany sat on the edge of the bed and daintily crossed her legs.

"This is sure a new experience. I was freaked out when I was put through the program. Which, as you can see, did quiet a number to my body." She looked into his eyes before continuing.

"I like it here for the most part. Will and Fred are nice, Jessie is okay, I guess. And I will have to wait for combat experience, so I've adjusted pretty well." She blinked and nodded her head.

"Good to hear. Will and Fred are good men and soldiers. You should go talk to them sometime to get to know them better. Jessie is unique. It takes the right words and actions to push her buttons correctly. I'd hate to be on the business end of her gun on a bad day. Is she giving you any problems?" John sounded concerned.

"No, she hasn't bothered me since the night I arrived."

"That's good. I really don't want her getting to rough with the team." John stood and came to sit next to Tiffany on the bed.

"Now enough about me. I'd _love_ to get to know you _better_." Tiffany said with a bob of her head.

_**PILLAR OF AUTUMN**_**-11:00 HOURS**

"What happened?" Fred and Will were waiting for Jessie outside of her room when she walked up.

"I'm fine." She pushed past the Spartans and into her room.

"I should go get John." Fred turned on his heel and left the room.

"I said I'm fine!" She wheeled on Will. He pushed her down on the bed.

"Red and bruised face, blood on your shirt and mouth, and a wild look in your eyes? No you are not okay." Will got a wet washcloth from the bathroom and handed it to her. "This is getting out of hand, Jessie. Will you tell me why you're acting this way?" He took the washcloth from her and dabbed at her face, minus her verbal and physical protests.

Fred walked in followed by the Master Chief, who had Tiffany attached to his right arm.

"See. I told you she didn't look good." Fred pointed at Jess. She rolled her eyes when she saw John.

"I said I was fine! You can all go!" She practically shouted.

"Just tell us what happened." John leaned against the desk. Fred handed her a clean shirt before sitting beside her on the bed.

"You have the whole team all over you, pampering you, because you got a bruise?" Tiffany shook her head.

"Butt out, Tiffany." Fred said.

"What? You're defending her? She's useless." Tiffany crossed her arms.

"Get out of my room." Jess tried to stand, but Fred and Will pulled her back down.

"Tell us what happened." Will said.

"I got in a fight with an ODST." She bit her tongue and didn't finish the sentence out of anger. "Happy? You can go now. I'd like to rest up and get ready for the game in a day." She pushed Will and Fred out the door and Tiffany strutted out before Jessie could get to her. She turned to see John still leaned up against the desk.

"Can't you leave me alone? I don't need shepherding." She glared at him.

"I'm starting to worry about you, Jess." John admitted.

"I don't need anyone to fret over me."

John rubbed the back of his neck and let out a heavy sigh.

"Just get better and straighten your act out, okay?" He responded.

"Sure. Alright." Jessie moved towards the back of the room.

"Do you understand me, Spartan?" John raised his voice a bit.

"Sir. Yes, sir!" Jessie straightened to attention.

"Good, soldier." He spun on his heel and marched out of the room.

_**PILLAR OF AUTUMN**_**-11:10 HOURS**

Fred had been standing outside of Jessie's room waiting for John, when he heard voices from the room. He raised his eyebrows when John started to refer to the girl as "Spartan" and "soldier" and she responded with a formal "yes,sir". Blue Team, John especially were very formal in front of superiors, but comfortable and to the point while on and off the battlefield. Why was he sounding like a drill sergeant now?

"What's up with John…and Jessie?" Fred mumbled to himself.

He turned to face John as he exited room 057.

"Everything alright in there?" He questioned as he matched the Chief's pace.

"Yes. Jessie was just acting up again. She really needs to get that problem taken care of." John plowed on and Fred stopped mid step.

"John!" He said harsher than he had originally planned. The Chief stopped and swung around to face Fred.

"Fred." He said, face still unemotional. The face he wore when in battle; unemotional, hardened, and a killer.

"What was that back there!" He exclaimed.

"I don't quite follow." The Master Chief shrugged his shoulders.

"We have a teammate who is going through something tough! We need to help her through her problem and be there for her as she learns to adapt! _You _need to be there for _her _as she learns to get along with her fear of trust!" Fred threw his hands in the air as he lectured his team leader.

"That matter is between Jessie and her past. She shouldn't let it affect her future!" John shot back.

"Look at you! You used to care for the well fare of your team. As a leader we should be able to look up to you! _Trust_ you! Don't let that fall apart. The last thing we need as a team, and I need as a Spartan, a person, is the moral and teamwork to fall apart over my head and all of ending with bullets in our heads." He shook his head.

"We've known Jessie since we were kids. This problem…wait, its no _problem_, its _part_ of her. It is a sliver of who she is and we shouldn't reject her because of it. She has been escalating since the day we met her and it doesn't need more prompting to go farther because of you. With all due respect, Chief, get your act together. I'm telling you this because I care for you, her, and the whole team. Even humanity as a whole. If we can't work together, humanity might just kiss its ass goodbye." Fred wheeled around and walked down the hall the other way, mumbling to himself.

John turned to the small group of marines that had gathered, "What? Ever seen Spartans argue before?" Before he too, continued down the hall to wherever his feet wanted to take him.

**I stared ay my page for a **_**long time**_** trying to figure out a plausible and smooth way to shift Chief into his 'cold self' for a bit. As my writing reflects, that smooth integration did not happen. Please leave a review on your way out!**

**-Masterful-Mind**


	4. Broken

_A Spartan's War_

A/N: I am seriously thinking about cutting the letter. It has been a pain in the ass and I have better ideas for new chapters instead of this. I may just go with Tiffany making life really difficult for Jessie. I've written some of the chapters a bazillion times and am still not satisfied with the outcome.

_**This chapter has been edited as of Aug.2011**_

**Chapter 4: Broken**

_**PILLAR OF AUTUMN**_**-17:25 HOURS**

Tiffany stood in front of the mirror of her bathroom and looked at her reflection.

"_Hmm…I thought I said stay away…" _Tiffany thought to herself.

Tiffany had seen the looks Jessie had thrown at the Chief when he wasn't looking at her. The feelings she was starting to show were etched deep in her face, hidden, but plain as day for Tiffany to see. In that aspect, she could read Jess like a book. Tiffany had always been good at gauging people's emotions and feelings towards each other. So she was pretty sure she wasn't reading the situation the wrong way. If the Master Chief took notice, he may warm up to Jessie and less to her.

"Carla!" Tiffany walked out of the small bathroom and placed herself in front of her computer.

An AI appeared on the pedestal beside the monitor. The AI, Carla, was medium height and had her hair in a tight bun, with little diamond earrings. She wore a flowing ball gown and elbow length gloves and a fair amount of jewelry.

"Yes?" Her fair voice carried across the room. Tiffany booted up the computer and logged in.

"I want you to bring up everything on Spartan-057 and Spartan-117. And, while you're at it, bring up my profile. I'd like to do some editing." She instructed Carla.

"All Spartan files will be extremely encrypted and under tight security. Buried deep in ONI." Carla stated.

"Yes, and that's why I have you." Tiffany faced Carla.

"And look out for the other Smart AI, Cortana. She may be in the system as well. She if John's AI." Tiffany warned.

"Of course…Here you go, Tiffany." The files of two Spartans popped up on the screen followed by Tiffany's profile.

"Now for some reading." Tiffany leaned forward and settled in for a long night of reading and plotting.

_**PILLAR OF AUTUMN**_**-18:00 HOURS**

Jessie paced around her room. She had woken up in a better mood than she had for months and she couldn't figure put why. She pulled her training gun from her locker and sat down. Now that she actually thought about it, it _really_ pissed her off the way John had talked to her the night before.

He had no reason to use formal and commanding language. She had beaten up ODSTs many times before, John too. The way he abruptly commanded her had thrust a thorn in her side. A thorn of anger, but it was coated in angst. Not only was she mad, but hurt to.

Jessie had been trying to learn to trust someone in the past few months. She had selected her squad leader, John. Things had been going smoothly until the new Spartan, Tiffany had showed up a few days ago. The woman was a thorn in her side too.

Maybe she could take her mind off of why she was in such a peculiar mood and John's attitude to clean her old gun. She would need it in perfect working condition for the Flag game. She rubbed the gun down and pieced it back together.

"I should probably make sure Tiffany's gun is working. As much as I don't want to." Jessie stood and made her way out of her room.

_**PILLAR OF AUTUMN**_**-18:10 HOURS**

Tiffany answered her door and scowled when she saw Jessie standing there.

"What is so important that you have to come talk to me of all people?" She asked.

"I came to see how your assault rifle is working. You're going to need it when we reach Reach." Jessie answered.

"Right…Um…come in. I'll go get it." Tiffany moved out of the doorframe and made room for Jessie to walk in.

"You sure have a lot of stuff for being in the military." Jessie commented as she moved further into the room.

"I guess so." Tiffany opened her locker and pulled out the rifle. She quickly dumped it into Jessie's arms. "Here ya' go."

Jessie did a quick inspection before handing it back to Tiffany.

"That is certainly John's cleaning job. If you already had him clean it, why did you ask me to come in?" Jessie said.

"Other than you double checking my gun, I wanted to talk." Tiffany shrugged.

"You wanted to talk to me? Remember what I tried to do to you a few days ago?"

"Yes, I remember it all and I still want to talk. I'm not afraid of you."

"Well, you should be." Jessie leaned against the wall as Tiffany took a seat in her desk chair.

"Other than what I learned about you when we first met, I was wondering if I could get to know you better." After sifting through Spartan-057's profile, she knew the exact pressure points when it came down to her physical contact and trust issue.

"I grew up on a back water planet with my family. Most Spartans can barely remember their lives before the program, but I was brought on late enough that I still remember quite a bit. And I joined Blue Team close to a year ago, but I've known the whole team since we were children." Jessie explained.

"That's nice. Anything else?" Tiffany pressed.

"Let me be straight. I don't tell people a whole lot. As my team member, get used to it." Jessie snapped.

"Oh, alright." Sighed Tiffany.

"Glad we're on the same page."

Tiffany glanced at the small digital clock on her desk.

"Sorry to kick you out, but I have some pressing business I just remembered." Tiffany lied.

"Don't worry about me." Said Jessie before she slipped out the door.

_**PILLAR OF AUTUMN**_**-19:10 HOURS**

Jessie entered the gym and made for an empty treadmill. The gym was rather quite and she adjusted the speed before stepping on the treadmill. Maybe she would go talk to Will about the game on Reach when she finished her run.

_**PILLAR OF AUTUMN**_**-19:30 HOURS**

John approached room 057.

"Ah, Jessie I was looking for you." He said cooly. Unsure how she would act after the previous night. He was still a little irked.

"Chief." She responded.

_"So she's going to play that game."_ He thought.

"Look, I was in a bad mood last night and I snapped. No formalities." He explained.

"Yes, sir." Jess said with a small smirk.

"I was told you needed to discuss something with me."

"No. I haven't sent for you." She said cooly.

He had been told it was _very_ important and that it was a touchy subject for her, that she may not easily open up and tell him what was on her mind.

"I was told it rather urgent."

"I have nothing to discuss with you." She pushed.

"Fine. Come to me when you are ready to talk." He turned and headed down the hall.

Jess shook her head in confusion as she let herself into her room. Where had Chief gotten that idea? If she needed to talk to him, she would have gone directly to him and not used someone as a go between. She shook her head once more. She would look into it more later.

**Okay, short chapter. I cut a lot out of this one and I don't like it! Ch.4 is one of my least fav chaps and it is short and slow. If anyone as any ideas about how to spice this chapter up, I'm all ears.**

**-Masterful-Mind**


	5. Capture the Flag  Reach

_A Spartan's War_

_**This chapter has been edited as of Aug.2011**_

**Chapter 5: Capture the Flag - Reach**

**A/N: No edits made to this one. I didn't have the energy to go through it.**

_**PILLAR OF AUTUMN**_**-08:30 HOURS**

Jessie rocked on the balls of her feet as she waited for Tiffany and John to come down to the hanger. Will and Fred, where already in the Pelican. All of them were wearing the bodysuits to their MJOLNIR and minimal pieces of Marine armor and a HUD display that could function outside of a helmet. Jessie clutched her gun to her and gave up on waiting, she went to find her box of narq-dart rounds and frag grenades. After she got her grenades, she went and sat down in one of the crash seats in the Pelican. Will walked by and said nothing. Then Fred walked by; he glanced at her, but stayed quiet. Jessie hit the back of her head on the wall and groaned.

"_So Will and Fred hate me too? And I already know John and Tiffany despise me. Who does that leave me with? No one. I'm all alone…again." _She heard Tiffany and John enter the Pelican and felt the drop ship lift off. She stared at the opposite wall and journeyed the trip in silence.

**REACH-SPARTAN BASE-12:00 HOURS**

"I want Fred to stay here and cover us with his sniper. Will, you will take out the Southern turrets. You."

"_He won't even say my name anymore."_

"You and Tiffany will cover all the space and pick off any Marines going for our flag. Spread out and split up if you want. I'll take out the main defense turrets and then Will and I will get the flag. We are outnumbered, so this might be a long game. Head out." Jessie ran off without another word. Tiffany could follow her or go the other way. She didn't care. This is where she belonged and what she was good at. She exited the trees and pushed her way through the tall grass. No contacts showed up on her HUD. Tiffany was out of her range, so she guessed she was going her own way. She quickly fired three slugs into the trees and she heard the _thump!_ Of a Tango Marine falling to the ground out cold. She moved on and came to the Big Horn River. She surprised a small group of Marines and took care of them with ease. She guessed Tiffany had gone South to stalk John, so she went Southeast.

"Hm, the clouds should help with cover, but if it rains it will be harder to tell friend from foe and I'll have to rely on my FoF. Boy do I hate putting all my faith in technology." Jessie mumbled to herself as she slowly moved closer to the imaginary line that separated Spartan and Tango territory. The grass to her left wiggled. It stopped, then started up again.

"You really must notice that the grass moves every time you and your gun do?"

She shot at the same time the Marine did. She missed, but his bullets caught her in the shoulder and the abdomen. She didn't have time to worry about weather or not it was live-fire or not. She rushed his hiding place and bashed him over the head with her gun and then fired a slug into his back. He fell down unconscious. Proud with her progress, 15 Marines in 3 minutes, she continued her trek.

Tiffany was hiding. She had persuaded John into giving her a marksmanship lesson before they had come. Her hiding spot was near the perfect covered area for Tango to try and come through. She shot another Marine in the stomach and thigh and dragged

his body into the trees. She had to keep moving them farther away so someone wouldn't stumble upon one and tell the other Tango members not to go that way. She jumped back down in her moss-covered hole and reloaded. She would find Jessie later.

Jessie slid another magazine into her gun and fired again. She was in pain where the Marine had shot her earlier and her reactions were slowing from the wounds. She still wasn't sure if it was a slug or bullets. She had been shot once in the shoulder and once in her abdomen. They weren't fatal rounds she knew that. They only had enough power to penetrate deep into the skin, but not pass through any organs or bones. Six Marines were closing in on her. She took out two and grinned. A bullet caught her just below the collarbone on her left side. She dropped to her knees and continued firing. She got one in the chest and she collapsed cold. She was about to settle her scopes on her next victim, when two bullets caught her in the back, just below right shoulder blade. She collapsed and laid on her side, her breathing labored. All the bullets had gone no further than deep skin penetration. She wouldn't die she had to keep going. She tried to get up, but the six bullet wounds hurt too much. Eventually the blood soaked through her bodysuit and armor. It quickly gushed to the ground, creating a puddle of red around her, and staining the grass red. The last three Marines closed in on her.

"Come on, we need to get her back to the base jail." Two of the Marines slung her arms over their shoulders. The picked her up until only her feet dragged on the ground. The Tango members moved into the trees. She heard one say something about her bullet wounds and that they should have used slugs so they wouldn't have a bloody Spartan on their hands, when she slid into darkness.

The main defense turrets were half a mile away from the Tango base. John sat on a log momentarily so he could get the charges ready. He had watched the turrets for a couple minutes, memorizing the movements of the squads. Four men always stayed at the North end, three at the South. Two men would change shifts for the larger gun and three for the four smaller ones.

"Time for some fun." John slunk along the wall and set the charges on the weakest point of the wall and large turret. He shot the people manning the guns and sprinted for the trees. The charges went off with a satisfying _**KABOOM! **_Will's acknowledgement light flashed, signaling that he had taken out the other turret location. John winked his, signaling all the Spartans to RV back at their flag in the base.

Jessie groaned and sat up. She hurt all over, but the bleeding had stopped the torso, back, and right arm sections of her black bodysuit was a ruddy red color and sticky. She had been relieved of her weapons and armor. She sat in the small dark room in her bloodstained bodysuit and armored boots. She had very little energy left from blood loss and she knew that moving would make the wounds bleed again, but she had to get out. She wanted to fight and not sit out the whole game here in the Tango jail. She knew a Marine would come to see if she had woken and when he did, she would make her break. She settled in to wait by running her fingers trough the length of her hair and loosening any locks that had been clumped together by her blood. Her mind began to wander and she tried not to think about how the others probably hadn't noticed her disappearance and if they did, they wouldn't care. When she heard footsteps from down the hall, Jessie stood up and managed to move into the shadowed corner of the room by the cell door. The Marine opened the cell and stuck his head in. She grabbed it and rammed her knee into his face before delivering a quick hot to the back of his neck. The only sounds were of her legs and fists hitting him. He fell to the ground and she gathered up the unconscious heap and threw him in the corner. Creating the illusion she hadn't woken yet. Her back and shoulder felt warm. She pushed her hand against her stomach and it came back wet from her blood. Her wounds had started to seep again and her breathing was a little haggard.

Jess had managed to sneak out of the jail compound and then the base without being noticed. She pushed her way through the tall grass and felt her breathing become labored and the blood flow intensify. The blood loss had already taken a toll on her body, she didn't have much energy and she couldn't go far fast. Halfway between the Tango base and the boundary line, she finally collapsed.

John was the last to arrive back at the base. Everyone looked okay, only slight wounds. The left side of his torso was peppered with shrapnel from his dets going off early and he tried not to move because of a possible fractured rib, and he was bleeding slightly. Fred had bruises forming on his neck and face and Tiffany had a few scratches on he cheeks and forehead. He looked for Jessie, but the fifth Spartan was gone.

"Where is Jessie?" He asked, starting to get a little worried.

"She said she was going to get the flag. She left before I could stop her." Tiffany lied.

"Going to get the flag! Is she crazy! Come one, she'll need help." He motioned for Tiffany and Fred to come with him. "I don't want you doing anything that will make the shrapnel bleed more, stay here and protect our flag, Will."

"Yes, sir." Will exchanged his gun for a rifle and went to find a good vantage point.

"Now we go find Jessie and help her capture the flag." John led Tiffany and Fred through the terrain of Reach.

Fred was the one who found Jessie. He was poking one of his many bruises when he tripped over something.

"Whoa!" He kicked something soft and tumbled to the ground. He turned around to see what he had tripped over. Jessie was lying on the ground in a small ball and she looked terrible. Her face was paler than normal, the torso, back, and shoulder sections of her bodysuit shone a ruddy red-black and the blood was still weeping from the wounds, making the ground around her wet and the tips of her hair red. Fred crawled over to her on his hands and knees and put two fingers to her neck. She had a pulse. Good. Fred winked his acknowledgement light and highlighted his location on his HUD. John and Tiffany arrived a few moments later. Tiffany looked about ready to be sick at the sight of blood and John looked half worried out of his mind and partly angry.

"What happened?" He knelt down next to Fred and the rolled her over onto her back.

"I'm guessing live ammunition and then capture because she is missing her gun and armor. She isn't dead, so I think that Tango Company is using an older bullet type, one that isn't fatal, but deals a heavy wound." Fred gingerly cut away the lower section of her bodysuit. "She has two here," he laid two finger on her stomach just below her rib cage. "One in her shoulder and two in her back." He rolled her body over slightly and laid a finger in-between the bullet holes below her shoulder blade.

"Is she alive?" Tiffany squeaked.

"Very much, but she won't be if we don't get her back to Will and get these two some medical help. We don't know how long she's been loosing blood. I'm not ready to loose two Spartans in one day." John stood and instructed Fred to pick up Jess. Fred scooped Jessie up in his arms and turned to John and Tiffany. "You two go get the flag and LZ at the base, then we'll call for a Pelican to come pick us up." Fred hooked his gun to his belt and then walked back to Tiffany. She scowled.

Fred was almost back to their base and it seemed like her pulse kept on getting fainter and fainter. He thought back to this morning and realized that Jessie had been rather quite and was acting like she was in a sour mood.

"_John and her must have not made up after their little argument."_

A contact on his HUD flashed, indicating a foe. Fred slowed his pace and looked around. He set Jessie down and stood over her. He quickly pulled his gun from his belt and fired into the trees. Three men dropped. Bullets whizzed past him. He barely missed them as he dropped, rolled, and came into a crouch. More and more contacts appeared on his HUD. He guessed at about 15. John was right when he said it would be a harder game because they were greatly outnumbered. He fired again and moved closer to Jess.

When he returned to her he saw another man crouched over her. The Marines had drawn him away from her so they could go in and get her. He held his gun to the man's head. He looked up and said,"I have my own tricks too, ya' know." He pulled out two pistols and pointed one at Fred and the other at Jessie.

"Don't touch her." He heard the remaining 9 of the 15 Marines moving closer. He silently slid his other hand along his belt and found his frag grenades. He pulled it off his belt and pulled the pin. "You aren't fast enough." He lowered his am and shot a narq-dart round into the man's stomach and then threw the grenade into the middle of the oncoming Marines. It blew and all the contacts disappeared.

"Not too bad." Fred picked Jessie up again and finished the walk back to base.

**TANGO COMPANY BASE-12:45 HOURS**

John stood behind a tree and devised a plan. He would end up being the one to actually go in and get the flag since he knew what he was doing. Tiffany on the other hand was still learning and would work best as a rabbit. Her bright pink hair would draw attention and then John would have the fleeing moments he needed to go in and snatch the flag.

"Okay, Tiffany I want you to move in and out of those dense trees over there and try to shoot the Marines that come out. You're the bait or rabbit and while the Marines are worried about you, I'll go in and get the flag, then we'll RV here and go from there."

She nodded her head and moved to where he needed her. She fired at the only visible Marine and caught him in the chest. Shouts echoed from inside the base and the Marines ran out to storm Tiffany's position. He watched her retreat into the trees and ran. He could hear her shouts from here. When it came down to it she couldn't fight and was only shooting the Marines because she knew it wouldn't kill.

"Oh, how I wish for my MJOLNIR right now." John slunk into the base and assessed the situation.

He would have to go through three adjoining rooms and God knows how many Marines to reach the flag. The green flag with one white star. The flag he and Blue Team had captured for many years of their training. The first room was empty, he moved into the next and could see the flag through the next doorway. He primed a grenade and chucked it. The explosion took many of Tango with it and he shot the rest.

Cautiously entering the flag room, John looked around. Most of the Marines must have gone after Tiffany or been taken out through the course of the game. He gabbed the familiar pole and streaked out of the base.

"Come on, Tiffany!" She quickly changed directions and the Marines were momentarily confused. Long enough for John and Tif to charge over the boundary line and find a safe hiding spot. He heard the Marines thunder past and then spread out. He held his finger to his lips.

"Shh." He slid out of the hole and let Tiffany lead the way. The quietly entered their base and successfully captured the flag.

**SPARTAN LZ-1:15 HOURS**

"How are they?" John and Tiffany met up with Fred.

"Will is prone to infection and can't move because he may burst a lung if he does and I'm guessing he has a fractured rib. Jessie has six bullet wounds, none fatal, but she has suffered from severe blood loss. We have a Pelican coming and I'm sure it isn't Tango trying to trick us." He added when he saw the look on John's face.

"Why did Tango use live ammo?" Tiffany asked.

"Lets just say this was a bit of a grudge match." Fred replied.

"You did pretty well for your first time handling a weapon." John noted and Tiffany beamed. "Later." He mouthed to Fred.

Within the hour, the Pelican drop ship arrived. The Marines inside brought out a gurney for Will and one for Jessie.

John looked over the Doctor's shoulder as he assessed Jessie.

"Don't worry, she'll live if we can get her back to PILLAR OF AUTUMN and get the bullets out of her. She only suffered from blood loss." He laid a hand on John's shoulder and then moved onto Will, who was in worse condition.

"You care for her a lot don't you, John?" Tiffany had to get answers. She had to know if Jessie was going to get in the way of her prize. John.

"She's part of the team. I don't want to loose her or Will." He answered.

"Then why have the two of you been acting weird and cold around each other? I thought teams were supposed to work together and have good relationships" She looked down at Jessie's prone body.

" You do have a point, Tiffany. I've just reached the end of my rope with Jessie's testy behavior and its just started to irk me a bit. We have a small argument and we haven't made up for it quite yet. I know that you and Jessie are not on friendly terms and in a nutshell, you hate each other. Don't think I haven't noticed. So please don't pry too far into my relation with her." He admitted.

"Fine." Tiffany left to find an open crash seat. As soon as she was gone, the Chief bit the inside of his cheek, regretting jumping on Tiffany. He had to wounded Spartans under his command, and it weighed heavily on the team leader. Blue Team was bound to have a mission soon, and he needed his team in prime condition. Sighing, he decided to rotate between Will and Jessie and watching over them as the flight progressed.

**Please leave a review!**

**-Masterful-Mind**


	6. Mistakes

_A Spartan's War_

_**This chapter has been edited as of Aug.2011**_

A/N: Please excuse any OOC. The Chief is always portrayed as a cold collected guy as we see during the games, but I always saw him as kind of a firey person when he was younger like in the books. Ignore OOC if you think I am writing Chief like that, and the fact that there will probably be a lot of Spartan vs. Spartan arguing. I couldn't help myself. I also can see the super-soldiers getting a little over their heads in a yelling fight as well a s a gun fight. Enjoy!

**Chapter 6: Mistakes**

_**PILLAR OF AUTUMN**_**-10:45 HOURS**

Will had a broken rib and infected shrapnel wounds and had been in a coma since the Pelican had docked in the _**Pillar of Autumn**_. It had been two days since. Jessie had six bullet wounds and severe blood loss, but had gotten back on her feet quickly.

Jess sat in silence and stared at the ceiling. She was covered in gauze from her belly button to her shoulders, preventing her from wearing a shirt. And she still felt light headed from the blood loss. When the door opened, she expected to see one of the nosey military doctors coming to try and convince her to return to the medical wing, but in walked John. She sat up and pulled the blankets up higher before glaring at him.

"We are going to go get refitted into our MJOLNIR and get Tiffany her armor. I came to see if you were well enough to get refitted." John hadn't moved much farther than the doorway.

"I'm not supposed to engage in prolonged activity that would get me worked up. Getting refitted into my armor would reopen my wounds. Doctor's orders. I'd hate for him to come after my ass again. I shouldn't go." She tried not to dwell on how John felt towards her. At least he still had enough respect to talk to her.

"We have a mission soon, I don't know what will happen if you and Will aren't recovered by then." John turned and walked out. Jessie pressed a hand to her side and hissed. The wounds on her back and torso were giving her such a hard time. Sure she had been shot before, but not at such close range. Her whole abdomen felt like it was on fire and the skin around the bullet holes prickled.

"I hate Marines." She mumbled before noticing the blood soaking through the white bandage.

_**PILLAR OF AUTUMN**_**-10:50 HOURS**

Tiffany was thrilled when John briskly walked out of Room-057 five minutes after he had entered.

"She's not coming?" She tried to sound like she cared. Somewhat.

"No. She can't stand long because of the blood loss." John came to her side and she let him lead the way to the armory in the ship.

_**PILLAR OF AUTUMN**_**-11:30 HOURS**

Fully suited, John paced down the hall. He didn't know where to go. He didn't feel hungry and he really didn't want to workout on full MJOLNIR. Many of his armor plates had to be replaced from his constant abuse and needed to wear them in. There wasn't much on the frigate meant to break in MJOLNIR plating.

"_Jessie better straighten up and get her armor back up to working condition. It takes time to comfortably wear in new pieces. She needs time to cool down first, I won't go talk to her yet."_

His feet carried him there anyways. He knocked and received:

"Go away!" He walked in. He found Jessie standing in front of her locker and clutching her side before pulling a shirt over the bandages. The bandages gave her a rippling look as they were visible because of the shirt.

"Just where do you think you're going?" He crossed his arms.

"I told you to go away. Don't you respect anybody?" She turned to face him.

"You said you weren't supposed to be up and about. Why are you exactly what you're not supposed to do?" He said.

"I'm going to see Will. And why would you care if I'm taking charge of my healing process!" She sneered.

"You are not going anywhere. In bed. Now." Her anger giving way to his.

"You can't tell me what to do!" She threw her hands up in the air.

"What if I made that an order, Spartan?" He growled.

"Don't be such a hard ass, John." She growled back. John's armor made his larger form even more imposing, but Jessie wasn't ready to back down. He started the fight, she would finish it.

"Get used to it. I may be a hard ass, but I won't tolerate insubordination." He crossed his arms, armor creaking.

"Excuse me! Insubordination! If this is such an important matter to you, I would think that you would have made more of an effort to better lead your team during the game on Reach rather than runaway with your girlfriend!" Jessie shouted.

She moved to the door and hurried out as soon as he opened his mouth to shout back at her. She was in no condition to piss the larger Spartan off any more than John already was. As the door closed, John clenched his fists.

_**PILLAR OF AUTUMN**_**-14:00 HOURS**

Jessie said good-bye to Will and slipped out of his room. After talking to Will, she had had a moment to let everything go and vent about her recent spats with the Chief. Now she needed time to collect her thoughts. Fred walked out of an adjoining hallway and called to her,

"Jessie!" She stopped and waited for him to catch up. "Did you and John get in some sort of fight?" He asked.

"No, not recently." She lied to him. She didn't need to include the innocent Spartan in her troubles.

"Well, stay out of his way. He's in a terrible mood and he might turn on the next person who talks on him. He practically killed the punching bag in the gym." He warned her.

"Really? I wonder what set him off." They started walking.

"Tiffany brought up your name and he actually growled. I advise you steer clear of him until he feels better. I want the whole team functional for the next mission." Fred turned away and wandered down the hall to the mess hall.

"Great." Jessie mumbled to herself. She set off for the showers and locker room.

_**PILLAR OF AUTUMN**_**-16:45 HOURS**

The Master Chief made his way to the showers and the locker room. John leaned against the wall as he felt the _**Pillar of Autumn**_change direction. He would have to ask the Captain about that later. He entered the locker room and went to the sheltered corner where the Spartans kept their gear. He didn't see anybody and was about to begin to strip out of his workout gear when he heard someone approach him from behind. He spun around to see Jessie standing there, towel in hand.

"Ugh." He breathed.

"What are you doing here?" She tried to read his face, but he didn't show any emotion. Fred's warning came to mind and she decided to take it easy around him until he told her what was wrong.

"Matter of fact, I came here to take a shower. It really is nice to clean up after working out." He leaned up against a row of lockers.

"Okay. Way to be a smartass, John." She set the towel down on the bench and looked him in the eye.

"You need to adjust your attitude." He said lowly.

"Don't you _dare_ start that again!" She pointed a stern finger at him.

"You can't keep yourself in check. You are falling apart mentally and it is affecting this squad negatively. Straighten up and act like a Spartan!" John exclaimed.

"I am not having a mental breakdown! I may not like being in a close proximity as other people, but it is in no way affecting the squad! I keep it to myself and keep all you out of it. And for your information, I much rather work commando again. I am not a team Spartan."

"Enough. You need to calm down!" Jessie was about to leave, but John reached out and grabbed her wrist.

"Bad move, buddy." She hissed. Being a male Spartan, John was a hairs-breadth stronger than Jessie, a female Spartan.

"You're the one breaking down! You're worried over some small issue and not being professional, adult, or a soldier about it!" She shouted at him. Jessie yanked her arm free.

"You're making this difficult." He spat.

"So?" She snapped.

"You go and get yourself into situations a Spartan shouldn't be in." He countered.

"Is it always "what is Spartan-like" with you?" She crossed her arms.

"No! But it is what, no who, we are and we need to act like it. You just don't understand." John punched a locker again.

"You're right. I don't get it. When you feel like you can keep your voice down, hands off me, and act like a man about this, then come talk to me." She exclaimed.

"Just try and stop thinking about yourself for once. You're part of a team now and the squad comes before the individual." John voice sank to barely above a whisper.

She bashed her shoulder into his as she pushed past him and out the locker room door. He made no move to stop her, and he just stood their glaring at where Jessie used to be standing before continuing with his pre-shower ritual.

_**PILLAR OF AUTUMN**_**-22:30 HOURS**

Jessie sat on the edge of her bed thinking. John had changed so much in the past weeks. He found her in the locker room and then proceeded to yell at her about something she didn't think mattered so much to him.

Still confused about her argument with John, she pulled off her shirt and changed her bandages. The bullet holes were scaring over, so she guessed they wouldn't bleed anymore. Spartans healed faster than normal humans, so she could get refit into her MJOLNIR in a few days and see if Will had come out of his coma tomorrow. Jessie pulled out her old notebook and sat back and began to write. As soon as she figured out John's problem a little more, she would make the 'final confrontation'.

**Yeah, this chapter sucked too! I couldn't find an argument between the two that satisfied me. Ugh! I like chapters 9 - 14 so much better. Please leave me a review!**


	7. Awake

_A Spartan's War_

_**This chapter has been edited as of Aug.2011**_

A/N: Special thanks to: SpartanGodess, arby, Norvak, LightvsDark99, Som Skxawng, Mysterious Angel-05, and Insanepyro for your awesome reviews! I will do this for the next chapter as well.

**Chapter 7: Awake**

_**PILLAR OF AUTUMN**_**-10:30 HOURS**

When Jessie entered the med room, she was delighted at what she saw. Will was sitting up in the hospital bed and he smiled weakly at her.

"You're out of your coma!" she exclaimed. She pulled a chair over to the bedside and sat down.

"Yeah, and I should be able to get out of this place in a few more days. How are you?" Will's voice was strong compared to the condition his body was in.

"Fine. I should be able to get out of my bandages soon. Do you want me to go get the team? They'll be thrilled to know you're okay." She offered. Will resituated himself in the bed and looked at Jessie once more.

"Thanks for coming to see me. Only you, Fred, and the Chief came. I could hear what you guys said while I was out. Tiffany didn't seem to come. Not that I wanted her to, though." Will told her.

"We know you better. She was probably off pestering some poor Marine. Do you want me to get the team?" She tried again.

"Why not? I'll be as happy to see them as they'll be to see me." Will chuckled and closed his eyes.

"I'll be back in a few." Jess stood up and exited the room.

_**PILLAR OF AUTUMN**_**-11:00 HOURS**

As Blue Team entered the infirmary, Commander Jacob Keyes and Colonel James Ackerson stepped out. Blue Team snapped to attention; Tiffany still a little slow.

"Blue Team. Good to see you." Keyes said. "Now to business. Colonel Ackerson will explain." He gestured to the man next to him.

"We have two missions for you. You will be debriefed in 10 minutes." His gaze grew colder as it moved down the line of Spartans in front of him,

"Yes, sir." The Master Chief replied. He watched as the two officers exited the room before he let out a sigh. "We better see how Will is. We have a mission to complete." Slowly Blue Team entered Will's room.

_**PILLAR OF AUTUMN-**_**11:10 HOURS**

Fred helped Will strap on the last piece of his armor as the rest of the team went through the ammo and guns before them. Jessie silently grabbed a shotgun and a pistol before moving over to the crate of grenades. Master Chief frowned and grabbed his own pistol and assault rifle. He turned to face Tiffany as she started to complain about her MJOLNIR again.

"This stuff is so heavy and bulky! How will it protect us!" She moodily grabbed a pistol and AR then followed Jess to the crate full of grenades. When she noticed John's gaze following Jessie, she rammed shoulders with the other girl as she passed by, making the woman spin around and bare her teeth at Tiffany.

"Jeez! Wild woman." Tiffany pulled her shoulder back one more time, but Jessie's hand clamped down on the armor covering her upper arm.

"There's no need. I've got the point." She snarled into her ear.

"Just making sure." Tiffany whispered. She tried to yank away, but the other woman's grip tightened.

"Stay away from me. I have no idea why you hate me, but I can give it right back." She yanked her hand away and Tiffany stumbled back a few steps.

Right into the Master Chief arms.

She lost her balance and slipped into John's chest.

"Oh, thanks." She batted her eyelashes, even though he couldn't see it through her visor.

"Really. Your timing, Tiffany, always ceases to amaze me." Jessie's hands clenched into fists and she swung back around to face the grenade crate. John pushed Tiffany onto her feet and approached Jessie.

"Get a hold of yourself, Jessie. I need you to be in the right mind for the mission! And you must stop threatening Tiffany!." He lowered his voice a level, "I know you and Tiffany don't get along for whatever reasons only the two of you know. You have to stop. If you threaten her or one of the team, one more time, I'll be forced to court martial you. Stop this wild behavior now." He leaned back some.

"She does it on purpose. I try my best. You have no idea." She said back. Jessie forcefully yanked her arm from John's grip and retreated to the other side of the room. Fred watched John closely as he moved to follow Jessie. Tiffany sidled up and clasped onto his wrist, then slid her hand down to his. John looked down at her and carefully pulled his hand form her grip apologizing.

"Sorry, Tiffany. I need to finish getting ready." He quickly filled his hands with his assault rifle. Tiffany stuck her lower lip out and stomped away. Fred looked at Will, who shrugged his shoulders. It wasn't his fight. Fred tried to think of something to fill the growing silence.

"Didn't Ackerson say he wanted to see us in 10 minutes, Chief?" Fred asked.

"We better get gong then." John slid his helmet over his head, becoming the faceless solider once again.

_**PILLAR OF AUTUMN**_**-11:20 HOURS**

Colonel James Ackerson clasped his hands behind his back as he watched the five Spartans enter the room, armored and armed. Jacob Keyes nodded his head at the Spartans and then to Dr. Halsey who had entered the room. John sat down on a reinforced bench and the team followed suit.

All of Blue Team sat in their MJONLINR Mark VI armor. John had on his green armor, Fred his grey, Jessie her black, Will his white, and Tiffany her light brown.

"As you might have known, there was a squad of the finest ODSTs onboard this frigate. They were sent on a mission a week ago and have not returned nor reported. We have reason to think they have been captured by the Covenant." Ackerson's grip on the chair he was standing behind tightened. His distaste for the super-soldiers etched on his face.

"The alien vessel, _**Triumphant Declaration**_**,** was in the area during the Helljumper's mission. Captain Keyes will explain the rest." Ackerson lowered himself into the chair and turned to face Jacob Keyes. Keyes stepped forward and clasped his hands in front of him.

"_**Triumphant Declaration **_is also known to have a Prophet on board. You must infiltrate the cruiser, rescue the ODSTs, secure the cruiser, and capture the Prophet. Don't kill him, he is needed alive. Be prepared to depart in one hour. A Pelican will take you planet side. The vessel is currently docked and can be accessed via gravity lift. Good luck, Blue Team. You'll need it." With a wave of his hand, Keyes dismissed Blue Team. Ackerson ground his teeth together and his cold eyes followed the Spartans form the room. Oh how he hated sending Spartans after his Helljumpers.

**Epically SHORT chapter! I cut so much from this, I'm not even sure it can be counted as a chapter :) I guess it is more setting up context for the next four chapters or so. Those make up for the shortness. They are all between 4,000 and 6,000 words.**

**-Masterful-Mind**


	8. On a Mission

_A Spartan's War_

_**This chapter has beed edited as of Aug.2011**_

A/N:Big thanks to, Mysterious Angel-05, Norvak, DoubleDidigit42, Sergeant Dreamer, trololololol

**Chapter 8: On a Mission**

**UNSC MARINE PELICAN-15:00 HOURS**

The Pelican flew low over the dark trees surrounding the Covenant camp and gravity lift point. John loaded his assault rifle and frowned. He was so close to getting to the bottom of Jessie's problem, then Tiffany had barged in to tell them they had to go. He lifted his helmet over his head and instructed Blue Team to prepare for a hot drop over the secure com channel.

"Pilot, take us about a mile away from the Covenant camp!" He shouted.

"Sir? Isn't that a little close?" The pilot retorted.

"We're Spartans, I don't think we have much to worry about." Voice tinged with a smile.

"Yes sir." The pilot responded. The Pelican's hull brushed against the tops of the tall pines covering the landscape. The treetops danced in the wake left behind by the Pelican.

"There seems to be a storm building." Fred pointed over the horizon. Will stood and braced himself against the pilot's chair, looking out at the gathering dark clouds.

"We have to either move fast to get to the grav lift, or we wait out the storm and move on afterwards." He observed.

"We don't have much time. If the weather gets bad quickly, the frigate may leave atmo to wait it out." Jessie pointed out.

"I hate the rain, is this armor water proof?" Tiffany butted in. The Chief ignored her comment.

"When we land, we make for the grav lift. We have to get on that cruiser, and we are not going to take the chance that it leaves orbit." The Master Chief instructed.

The pilot steered the Pelican lower until the hull was a few feet off the ground. Master Chief jumped to the ground and waited for the rest of his team to disembark before waving to the pilot. Blue Team waited for the Pelican to fly into the horizon before they dared to move.

The Master Chief took point, flanked by Fred and Will with Tiffany and Jessie on either side of them. Ducking in and out of the shadows and tree line. As the Spartan's ran across the terrain, Jessie noticed that Tiffany was falling farther and farther behind. She stopped running and let the pink-head catch up to her.

"Try and keep up." She took off running and returned to her place behind Fred.

**UNKNOWN PLANET-16:00 HOURS**

Fred pressed his back to the tree he was standing behind as a Ghost sped past a few meters in front of him. He glanced around and saw the rest of the squad taking cover behind other trees and rocks.

"How bad is it?" Will's voice came over his com.

"A lot better than expected. The grav lift is in a secluded place and most of the aliens are concentrated in the east part of the camp. We're going Northwest." He reported.

"That's good. Fred, you go first." John ordered.

Fred popped out of his hiding spot and ran to the next safe area. The first flash of lightning cut through the darkening sky and illuminated Fred's grey form as he slunk across the landscape. A lone grunt waddled around the boxes piled up near the Spartan and the boom of thunder muffled the bark of Fred's rifle as the Grunt's head blew into a mushy pulp.

"Will, you're next." Will jumped up and streaked across the grass before sliding into position next to Fred.

"Tiffany." The lightning flashed and Tiffany's gold visor glinted in the growing darkness before she slid out of hiding and run-walked to the pile of Covvie ammo boxes the other two men were squatting behind.

"Jessie, your turn." The next boom of thunder was so loud, that it even penetrated the well-insulated and balanced environment of Jessie's MJOLNIR.

She jumped up and made her way over to her three squad mates without any complication, John followed suit.

John popped his head up over the crates and surveyed the layout in front of him. It was a clean run to the grav lift.

"Meet in the hanger. It is a straight run to the cruiser. No weapons, just get there without shooting anything. I'm sure we'll have a firefight on our hands as soon as we get into the hanger. Save your ammo and bloodlust for then. Blue Team, go." All five Spartans rose in unison and split as each found his own way to the lift.

_**TRIUMPHANT DECLARATION**_**-16:45 HOURS**

Will was the last one to be shot up by the grav lift and land feet first in the middle of the hanger. Blue Team was crouched just off to the left.

"No one's here." Fred commented.

"I wouldn't be too sure." Jessie said back. At the same moment an Elite, a few Jackals and Grunts walked through one of the purple doors connected to the hanger. The Elite roared in outrage, the Grunts jumped and squealed in surprise and the Jackals immediately activated their personal shields.

"Great! See!" Will flipped the safety off and quickly settled his scoped over the head of a Grunt and pulled down on the trigger, it fell back in a pool of its own brain matter.

"Weapons free!" John shouted as he dove away form the storm of plasma. Tiffany yelped as hot plasma smacked into her side.

"Move damnit!" Jessie grasped Tiffany's arm and yanked her behind a pillar before crouching and squeezing off a volley of bullets that ricocheted off the Elite's shields.

Bullets pinged off the Jackals' shields, and two fell down with Fred's well-placed grenade. Tiffany managed to unload a clip into three Grunts and they died with a soft gurgle as they chocked on blood and oxygen.

John and Fred concentrated their fire on the remaining Jackals. John wove back and forth with his scope engaged, looking for the right moment to fire. With the lightest slip up, the alien moved his head close to the curved opening of the shield for its gun. John's bullets soared through the opening and buried themselves in its boney head. He whipped his gun to his left, but Fred attacked the other Jackal. The heavy wave of rifle bullets forced it to stumble back and throw its arms out to regain balance, and his shots bit into the fur on its neck. The alien collapsed.

Jessie focused on the Elite. His constant barks relayed the fact that he was shouting for back up.

"Oh no you don't!" Jessie broke cover and ran towards the alien.

It backed up, desperately firing the plasma rifle gripped in its four-fingered hand. Aiming for its squid face and long neck, Jessie fired madly. Plasma hit her armor and her shields flickered. The Elite's shields died as soon as the female was within striking distance. Yanking the knife out of the sheath on her chest plate, she jumped and sunk the blade hilt deep in its fleshy neck. With a roar and a garble, the Elite feebly smashed its fist into her faceplate before he succumbed to death.

"We better move on before his friends show up, we don't want the Prophet to leave before we're done with him." Jessie shot on round into the Elite's head.

"Right. We have to secure the cruiser, Prophet, and find our ODSTs. Fred and Will, you are in charge of finding the Helljumpers and freeing them. Meet up with Jessie when that objective is complete. Jessie, you get to take the command center. Maybe leave a few Covenant for Fred and Will. Tiffany, you're with me. We will capture the Prophet, detain him, and meet with the rest of you in the bridge. Keep an eye out for any aliens, we will need to have a few for prisoners, but we don't want a whole ship full of pissed aliens banging on our door when we've got the Prophet and control of the ship." John instructed. "Move out." Blue Team split and went to complete their objectives.

**I have been cutting things out of chapter 1-8 it is not even funny. Sorry if you guys liked what I cut, I didn't.**

**But! I would like to say that all my old chapter editing is finished! It is new stuff from here on out...for the time being...I know I will get another editing urge.**

**-Masterful-Mind**


	9. On A Mission Part I: Rescue Team

_A Spartan's War_

**A/N: I may not address this in the chapter, so I will state it now:**

**John – Blue One**

**Jessie – Blue Two**

**Fred – Blue Three**

**Will – Blue Four**

**Tiffany – Blue Five**

"Text" is normal speech

"**Text"**is helmet – helmet coms

**I will try to add all the action I can and be too detailed oriented so there is a lot of good stuff!**

**A big thanks to Mysterious Angel – 05, arby, Norvak, Zqwetjan, and if I missed your name, I am sorry. I deleted some of the messages before I copied names down.**

**Chapter 9: On A Mission Part I: Rescue Team**

_**TRIUMPHANT DECLARATION**_**-17:00 HOURS**

Fred swung his rifle around the next corner and swept the halls. The cruiser had been eerily empty since the little skirmish in the hanger.

He was sure that the place was on high alert and knew of the Spartan presence. Most of the resistance must have been focused on Jessie and John, since they posed the largest threat.

Finding the missing ODST squad seemed like an almost endless task to Will. Covenant CAS-class Assault Carriers were huge. With many levels and just as many detention centers to match. None of the ODST's transponders were functioning, so they could not pinpoint the signal and work their way towards it.

"Contact ahead." Will said.

"You want the honors of going first?" Fred offered.

"Only of it's an Elite, I haven't gotten my hands on a decent one in a while." Will moved in front of Fred and burst in the adjacent hall. The grey and white armored humans surprised a small group of Grunts led by an Elite Minor. The Grunts began to fire rapidly. Letting Will have the Elite, Fred fired shot after shot. Each time his rifle barked, a Grunt would fall dead with a shot or two buried in its flabby face.

Will smirked under his helmet and advanced on the tall alien. Raising his rifle, he opened fire and unloaded a whole clip. When the gun clicked empty, Will didn't bother reloading. He slung the gun into the magnetic holster on his back and whipped his pistol from his thigh.

With each heavy shot from the handgun, the Elite's shields flickered. With an angry roar, the alien tossed a plasma grenade and scampered away. The little blue bomb clung to the wall near Will's head. He dove to the ground and rolled away around the corner. After the explosion, he streaked down the hall again and was met with a wave of hot blue plasma. Letting his shields and armor absorb the blows, the male Spartan continued his advance, searching for the tall red armor clad alien through the volley of plasma fire.

"There you are." Will shot forward and fired rapidly with the pistol. Watching with satisfaction, the Elite's shields failed and the human bullets hit their mark. Roaring curses in his native language, the Elite garbled and died.

"Took long enough." Fred teased.

"You know me, I like to be creative, draw it all out." Will smirked. The pair quickly moved on and walked away from the evidence of the small skirmish. Suddenly, lights began to flash and high-pitched alien alarms began to ring. The Spartans immediately raised their weapons and looked around.

"Jessie must be in the bridge. We've got to get moving." Fred led the way as they neared another door to yet another detention block. The door opened into a dim lighted room and the two men swung their weapons around scanning for enemies.

"Clear." Will mumbled.

"This better be the detention block with the damn ODSTs," Fred growled.

"It is, big guy." A voice spoke from the depth of the room.

"Yep, this is the one." Will made his way to the dark colored platform in the back of the room and searched for the correct button as his HUD translated the words and symbols on the console. When the Spartan's fist collided with on of the numerous buttons, the purple force fields shimmered and disappeared from the cells. Six Helljumpers exited the cells, a little wobbly and missing their helmets and weapons, but okay.

"Looks like the Covenant didn't do too much damage to your squad." Fred said to the ODST he guessed to be the leader. Raising an unseen eyebrow, he recognized the bruised Helljumper as the leader of the little gang that had confronted him and Jessie.

"We're tougher than you freaks might think." Logan growled.

"No need to get defensive. I'm just glad I won't have to carry you out." Fred remarked. Will looked over the group and then turned so he was facing them all.

"Blue Team has been tasked with the capture of this Cruiser and the Prophet currently aboard. You men will help Blue Two secure the Cruiser and hold it until we can get this bucket into friendly space. Am I clear?" Will commanded.

"Yes, sir!" The ODSTs responded.

"All right, boys! Looks like theses Spartan's can't capture this ship without our help! Gear up and get ready for a fight!" Logan shouted. Fred just rolled his eyes. The incapable Spartan's had just saved their asses and offered them a place in their mission. Not an offer easily gained when a squad of Spartans is in charge. Fred smirked. Logan was in for a surprise when he saw Jessie, or Blue Two, in the bridge.

"Pick up Covvie weapons as we go." Will instructed.

_**TRIUMPHANT DECLARATION**_**-18:00 HOURS**

The squad of Helljumpers was spread along the length of the hallway as Fred approached the locked door in front of them. The door flashed white and the door slid open to reveal an angry squad of Elite Commandos. Fred reared back and smashed the butt of his rifle into the face of the first alien. He heard a loud _crack!_ The rifle punched through the bone making the Elite's mandibles and cheek. The alien cried out with three mandibles going limp before a round was embedded in its face.

Pink needles flew past the Spartan as the ODSTs used their needlers to drive the Commandos back. The sharp pink pins ricochet off the Elite's shields and impaled themselves on the nearby wall before exploding into lavender dust with a sharp _pop!_ The alien's mandibles flared and emitted a small grunt as he took a few tentative steps back, disappearing into the ranks of his four brothers in arms. The nearest four commandos enveloped their brother as they leveled their heavy plasma rifles and repeaters at the pale humans. Roars and hot blue plasma pierced the air, ODST shouting as their armor was beat with burning plasma.

"Fall back!" Will shouted. The Helljumpers filed back through the hallway to the closest corner before seeking cover and only peering around the bend to squeeze off a few shots.

Fred growled deep in his throat and loaded a new clip into his rifle. He stepped closer to the oncoming aliens and let them have it. Sprinting, he tapped the trigger, bullets flew and cut through the first Elite; sending it to the ground without a sound. Fred's elbow smashed into the chest of his next victim and its head was point blank with the rifle muzzle, three quick shots silenced him. The third alien grabbed a plasma grenade off his belt and pulled his arm back, looking for the opportune moment to stop the Demon in its disgraceful tracks.

Fred turned his sights on the vengeful grenade wielding Elite.

"Spartan! Move!" Fred dove to the side just in time. Logan handed on of his men a frag grenade. The small explosive bounced along the floor past the Spartan, to land at the feet of the plasma grenade wielding Elite. With a primal roar, it chucked the grenade with the last of its life. The bright blue ball stuck to the chest plate of the human male lining up a shot at the time. He screamed in horror, nothing could be done to help the man. The humans next to him dove away as the sticky exploded, armor, gore, and body parts littering the hallway and spattering against the faces and bodies of the dead man's allies.

Fred, turning back to the job at hand after seeing the untimely death of yet another human, saw Will raise his pistol and bolt past his teammate. The last remaining Elite stomped to meet the charging Demon. The two heavies clashed in the middle. Will huffed as hot plasma beat his shields and the Elite attacked his body mercilessly with its rifle. He brought his pistol down with all his strength, the blow cleared the Elite's helmet and broke its neck just as Will's shields gave out. Wiping the deep purple blood from his handgun and flicking it onto the lighter purple walls, Will strode back to Fred and the ODSTs.

No one was worse for wear, minus the parts of the dead ODST strewn about the corridor. Fred's grey armor now held a purple tinge, the ODSTs were freckled with red and he was coated in purple up to his wrists. The mission was still in tact.

"Logan, you and two others take point. I don't want to run into any more lovely surprises. All the split-lips on this ship are going to be real pissed off about the current situation and we all need to get the bridge, before or after this bucket is locked down." Fred instructed. A slight crackle sounded in his helmet as his secure helmet – to – helmet com was activated.

"**How far from the bridge are we?"** Will's voice said.

"**We are one level below. The ODSTs were being held much closer to Blue Two's objective than I originally thought. Makes our job a whole lot easier."** Fred responded.

"**A hell of a lot of Elites will have gone to the bridge after Jess broke in. They won't allow the command area to be taken that easily. She'll have her hands full, we need to move."**

"**Agreed."**

"Alright, men! Double time!"

_**TRIUMPHANT DECLARATION**_**-19:00 HOURS**

Logan, alongside two of his fellow Helljumpers moved cautiously down the deserted hall. This Blue Two must have sealed off most of the doors, or the squid faces had retaken the command center. Taking position on either side of the smooth purple door, he signaled back to the Spartan in grey, Blue Three. The door was unlocked, good or bad?

"On three. One, two, now!" Fred and Will burst through the door, followed closely by the needle rifle wielding ODSTs. Sweeping the room, they saw a command center in perfect working order…

**Interpret the last sentence however you want to. I have not thought much about Jessie's part of the mission and didn't know how to end it. I still think this chapter was void of much action. The next should be fight after fight if I chose Jess' mission over John's. Which one do you want to see next? Please leave a comment!**

**Oh, and I want to write a Reach story or a bunch of one shots, but I have no idea where to start! There is so much to write about! Please tell me what you want to see in your review or send me a message.**

**~Masterful-Mind**


	10. On A Mission Part II: Command Bridge

_A Spartan's War_

A/N: I have been gone for so long! I will blame my absence on writer's block [worst case ever!] and an EXTREMELY busy schedule. FRC takes up my entire life, but I love it to death I am still breathing and here to stay! Thank you all so much for the continued support through my absence and I hope the fic meets the standard. Enjoy and don't forget to leave a review [Big Brother is watching you!]

I may also throw in the POV of an Elite since I have always wanted to write from their point if view! Yay!

"**Text" **is helmet coms

"Text" is normal speech

**Chapter 10: On A Mission Part II: Command Bridge**

_**TRIUMPHANT DECLERATION**_** -HALLWAYS-17:00 HOURS**

Jessie-057 slunk along the wall in a light purple colored hall. She gripped her rifle tightly and moved without a sound. The trail of bodies behind her would surely alert the cruiser to her presence. Moving soundlessly, she tried to keep them from discovering which direction she had gone since the discovery of the corpses was inevitable.

Navigating the huge spaceship was a chore in itself. The Master Chief had Cortana with him, so no maps were available to the rest of the team. Jess gauged her position by the amount of pissed off aliens and their importance. When she was recently attacked by a Zealot, she knew she was drawing near the Command Center.

"This better go as I plan." She mumbled to herself. She would need to kill enough Elites to make a point, but keep enough breathing so they could continue to navigate the cruiser. As she rounded the next sleek purple corner, a Grunt jumped, yelped with surprise, and back peddled as fast as is squat legs could move; firing rapidly at the fast approaching Spartan. The human armored in black kicked it into high gear and rushed the retreating Grunt. She let her shields absorb the hot, green plasma and reached for the grey aliens head. As soon as her hands made contact, her grip tightened immediately and jerked to the right. Cleanly snapping the Grunt's neck. It squeaked and died, but the Demon was already retreating behind the corner before the little body hit the ground.

Jessie peaked around the corner to get her bearings. This squad of Covvies consisted mostly of Jackals, a few Grunts, and one Elite; a Zealot by the looks of him. The Jackals activated their personal shields and knelt behind them as the Demon came into view again. Jess pulled the pin on her frag grenade and tossed it into the middle of the shielded group. Many Jackals dove out of the way, but twice as many were propelled forward with shrapnel imbedded into their skulls, colored blood splashing the smooth walls. A Jackal squawked, alerting Jessie to an incoming attack. The nearest Elite roared a challenge and pushed through the ranks of his minions to face the Demon head on.

Jess swung around, emptying the last of her rifle clip into the chest of a Jackal, and whipping her pistol out and facing the Elite. She backed up, firing madly. The Sangheili let out a rough bark; the human weapon was making contact with him, but his shields still held steady at 75%. Squeezing the trigger, plasma flew towards the Demon and forced it behind the curved corner when its shield died. A primed grenade stuck to the wall, forcing the human from cover. Sheathing his plasma rifle, he detached the Energy Sword at his hip and activated it with a flick of his large wrist.

"Shit!" Jessie reloaded as fast as she could, but the huge warrior was already within striking distance. "Oh no you don't!" The air crackled as the Energy Sword sliced through the air, narrowly missing the black Spartan. The warrior roared in protest as the Demon barely dodged his powerful attack. Jessie slammed the butt of the pistol into the Elite's side. A hard thud and crunch reached her ears along with the alien's howl as she broke through his shielding and pummeled his muscular side. He took a step forward to balance himself and flared his mandible, giving Jessie just enough time to slip behind him. Rapidly yanking her knife from its sheath, she jumped on his back. Using his knee as support, she thrusted herself up and sank her knife into the base of his neck. Grunting in pain, he fumbled but gripped the Demon in a surprisingly strong grip for a dieing alien. He swung her forward, but she dropped to the ground as his fingers gave way and he roared once more before succumbing to death.

"This must be it." Jessie looked towards the door the squad seemed to have been guarding. The purple door was mysteriously unlocked, compared to the locked doors that had barred her entire way here. "Something's not right. If this is the bridge, it should not be unlocked." Sliding another clip into her battle rifle, the Spartan moved near enough to activate the door. Jessie rushed in the room and aimed her sights where she knew the Ship Master would be seated. Beginning to squeeze down on the trigger, she noticed the Ship Master did not look shocked to see her.

"Demon! Do not fire your weapon!" The Ship Master ordered in English quickly stood up. Shocked as well practiced English rang in her ears, Jessie relieved the pressure on the trigger, tilting her head a bit in question. The Elite had obviously taken the time and care to study the English language. A language that at it best, sounded strange and warped leaving the mandibles of a massive alien. But in this case, it only held the telltale sign of an accent, a completely alien accent. The Ship Master in front of her had successfully ordered the Spartan to stand down, his heavy, smooth Sangheilian accent the only sign that a human was not shouting the command.

"I have watched you and your team since you entered my ship. I am aware of your intent and wish to explain myself before you shed anymore unneeded blood." The Ship Master set one hand on the arm of his chair, and settled his weight against it, seemingly sure the Spartan would not kill him then and there.

Torn between shooting the damn Elite dead and hearing him out, Jessie spoke, "Hurry up. I haven't got all day and my gun is itching to kill something." A Covvie, let alone an Elite, or in her case, a dignified Ship Master, never spoke to a Spartan, never tried to stop the ensuing fight. This was not normal and Jessie didn't like it one bit. What was she supposed to do? Kill him or listen to his proposition? Situations like these were never known to happen and with a Spartan involved, they were bred to kill. Shoot first, ask questions later.

"You are shocked that I have not turned a weapon on you as the rest of by brothers have. That is understandable, but this would be much simpler on both our parts if you lowered yours." The Sangheili did not seem fazed to order a Spartan to lower her weapon.

"Don't try anything funny or you'll be the first to go." Jessie quickly glanced around the bridge and furrowed her eyebrows in further confusion. All the Elites in the bridge were still in their assigned positions and busy working on keeping the ship in order, completely oblivious and comfortable with human Spartan's presence. The light from their computers shining on their calm faces, showing serene and comfortably relaxed alien faces. Something Jessie had never seen before. It was always the enraged snarl etched into the now seemingly delicate faces. "What is going on here?" She asked.

"That is of no importance, Demon. I am Ship Master Vora 'Ledumee. Former Commander of the Covenant. I have no wish to bring harm to you or your team in the way the ones who walk this ship do." Ship Master 'Ledumee explained himself.

"I don't understand." Jessie said, confusion and shock evident in her voice.

"I no longer believe in the sermons of the San 'Shyuum. The Hierarchs are wrong in their ways. My brothers feel the same way, they too with bring no harm to you," Jessie looked around the bridge, now understanding the calmness of the Elites. "Among the Covenant and my own people, we are known as Heretics." Vora looked down at the human as she processed what he told her.

"You do understand that allowing Blue Team to commandeer your cruiser, you are willingly handing your crew, and yourself, over to the mercy of humans. Humans who do not share your feelings or take your actions lightly." Jessie said, hands still gripping her gun tightly, giving her a small sense of security and control in the situation.

"I am aware of the situation, Demon." Vora said sharply. "I wish to explain myself to your Human Commanders so my feelings are shared. Many Sangheili share my hatred of the Great Journey and wish to turn their backs on the Covenant. Our brethren must be free. I admit that the Sangheili will never be free from the San 'Shyuum's grasp without the aid of Humans. I will make my plea then." Vora admitted with dignity.

"I understand, Ship Master."

"I hoped you would, Demon."

"You are aware that you currently have a Prophet on board? My higher ups will not know who is with you and who is at their mercy, like the Prophet." Jessie explained.

"I leave the despicable Hierarch in your hands. Leave the rest to me. I know which warriors are loyal to me and which follow the Hierarch blindly." Vora stated.

"The rest of my team has set up an RV point here. When they arrive, let me do the talking." Jessie stated.

"I shall. Even though we are of different species and militaries, do not undermine my authority, Demon." Vora said placidly before settling back into his chair and snapping a few orders to the Elites seated in front of him, the alien language sounding more natural leaving his mandibles than the weird forms of English. Jessie silently moved to the rear of the room. Near Ship Master 'Ledumee, but close enough to the door to intercept the rest of Blue Team. She felt shaken by the Elites confession, by oddly comfortable in his commanding presence. He was ultimately in control of the situation and he knew it, she did too.

_**TRIUMPHANT DECLERATION**_**-COMMAND CENTER-18:00 HOURS**

Vora 'Ledumee gazed at his brothers, deep in thought. He had long since made his heresy known to the Sangheili who shared his bridge. They had all taken it well, surprisingly heretics themselves. After the arrival of the Hierarch, his entire crew had been dismissed and replaced with those close and highly loyal to the Hierarch himself, all but the bridge crew and commanding officers. The proud Sangheili shifted his gaze to the female Demon. She seemed ill at ease after their confrontation. He knew the Spartans were the human super-soldier designed to be a killing machine and war tool. She had never been exposed to the deeper, darker side of the Covenant. The side that consisted of politics and mutiny. His deep orange copper gaze followed the she-Demon when she moved nearer to his seat, but stayed within striking distance of the door. He let out a huff of breath through his nostrils and idlly readjusted a small section of armor protecting his lower left mandible.

Vora had sealed his fate by giving full control of the _**Triumphant Decleration **_to the human super-soldiers. He was also aware that the humans he would be delivered too would in no way want to hear his appeal.

'Ledumee hoped that the other Demons would be as understanding as the one who had been sent to take control of the bridge. He had made her job a lot easier and far less bloodier. Vora could tell the woman was at war with herself because of her decision. She was obviously ready to end his life when she had burst into the room, and was now possibly rethinking her past action.

"Demon, do calm down. You will not regret your decision. All will work out in the end." said Vora.

"Easy for you to say. You're telling me one thing, my training another, my head something else, my gun a different story, and I can only imagine what the Chief will have to say about this." Jessie admitted, nervously shifting her weight from one armored boot to the other, the action not slipping by the keen Elite.

"You fear the consequences. You do not want to be reprimanded." Vora stated. If glares could kill, he would have been dead on the floor. For a moment he was glad the Demon had her helmet on, so he did not have to face the naked intensity of the glare her eyes were sending his way. His mandibles tugged slightly in a smirk.

"I'm in deep shit as it is and I don't need to explain my reasoning and concerns in a casual conversation with a fucking alien." She grated. Vora shifted in his chair, momentarily occupied by a message flashing on the screen next to his elbow.

Breathing deeply, he tapped the screen gently thought to himself, "_I am no longer Ship Master Vora 'Ledumee of the Covenant. Now that I have admitted my heresy to the humans, I am a Heretic, a traitor. Vora 'Ledum."_ He made the equivalent of a human smirk with his mandibles once again.

Curiosity peaking at being in such close quarter with a Demon and her comment of 'casual conversation', he'd give her casual conversation, "Demon. Tell me something. I have always heard stories of your kind. Even felled a few with my blade. What is your name? Where are you from? Are you as deadly as they say?" Vora dropped the formalities.

"I – uh." Caught quite off guard by the Elite's seeming extreme curiosity, she tried to form a response in her mind. "I am Jessie-057. A Spartan II, you Elites seem to like to call us Demons. Yes, we are as deadly as the stories say. I could ask the same about you."

"I have already disclosed my name and title. Humans have the tendency to call us Elites for some unfathomable reason, but I am a Sangheili. My heresy actually removes my rank and alliance with the military and Covenant. I should be known as Vora 'Ledum rather than Ship Master Vora 'Ledumee." Vora said.

"Oh," The Demon, Spartan as she said, paused in thought. "Sangheili, huh? Well, then it is quite the unexpected opportunity to meet you, Vora 'Ledum."

"The same can be said for you, Jessie-057." A screen in front of the ex-Ship Master chirped. "Your team is here."

The door slid open and Fred and Will surged in followed by ODSTs.

"Fred! Will" Jessie shouted. Drawing their attention to her instead of the Elites. The ODSTs still fanning out in formation, needles chinking into place. "Men! Stand down, now!" She shouted, authority seeping into her desperate plea. All hell would break loose if they fired upon the bridge of Sangheili expecting immunity.

"What the hell is going on here, Jessie!" Fred exclaimed. He surged past Jessie and leveled his rifle at the Ship Master. Pushing the still warm muzzle painfully into Vora's side.

"I said stand down, soldier!" Jess grabbed Fred's gun and roughly yanked it from its previous position in Vora's side. Knocking Fred a little off balance with her actions. Had his helmet been off, she would have seen his look of complete and utter horror, eyes wide and mouth slightly ajar.

"The Ship Master is a heretic. He defies the Covenant. He is willing to hand over the Prophet and crew in exchange for diplomatic immunity and a meeting between our superiors and him and his bridge crew. Do not fire your weapon." Jessie quickly explained.

Vora stood up and strode over to the two fuming Spartans. Hand brushed by his side briefly, thankful for the she-Demon's quick response.

"Your ally speaks the truth. I am Vora 'Ledum. Formerly Ship Master Vora 'Ledumee. I no longer follow the Covenant, and neither does my bridge crew." Vora came to stand next to Jessie. He could see her slightly tighten her muscles in preparation for fight or flight.

"What the hell is all I can say. I don't like this one bit. You've lost your damn mind, Jessie! Are you an alien sympathizer?" Will accused and raised his rifle a smidge. Jessie grabbed the barrel and forcefully pushed it back down.

"I said do not fire your weapon, Spartan!" Jessie commanded. Working hard to ignore the alien sympathizer comment as she bit the inside of her cheek.

"What's with the damn change of heart?" Fred asked.

"For fuck's sake, Fred! I have already told you what's going on!"

"And there is the old Jessie I know." He mumbled.

"If you do not mind, I will have to ask you to continue your argument over there. I still have a ship to run." Vora pointed to an alcove to the left of the door. Fred, Will, and Jessie moved over to the alcove, followed by the ODSTs. Who looked extremely uncomfortable and on edge, but following her cease-fire orders.

"John is going to kill you when he gets here." Fred stated bluntly.

"And there is no way in hell Tiffany will follow what you order." Will added.

"Those to can shove it where the sun don't shine. This made our mission a whole hell of a lot easier and 'Ledum is offering an alliance between him and us. Maybe the heretics he is in contact with as well. A leg up we desperately need." Jessie argued.

Vora tilted his head towards the argument, listening. This John person would not really execute his soldier on the field would he?

"Just remind me to steer clear of John when we get back. He is going to be livid. All of this goes against our training, instincts, and orders! How do you expect to justify this!" Fred vented.

"I know, but you've got to trust me I this one. Vora is all the justification I need. And don't worry about John. I think it is about time I confront him. We have some unfinished business and I just added this to it all."

Switching off her helmet speakers, Jess groaned and clenched her jaw. This mission was going to hell. There had to be some way to give the Chief a heads up. Let him take his frustration and confusion out on the aliens he would encounter on the way to the bridge. A way to save her own ass, if just a bit. Fred and Will took her silence as the end to the conversation, if it could be called that, and went to console the ODSTs.

Jessie shook her head then walked towards the Ship Master.

"'Ledum?" She questioned as she stopped by the command chair.

He turned to face her. "Yes?"

"Is there a way for you to patch me through to my CO's comm? The scrambled frequencies are playing hell with our equipment and I know if you turn off the jammers, the Prophet will know." She asked.

Vora looked thoughtful for a moment. At least that was what Jess thought the expression on his face looked like. You could never know with an Elite. "I believe I can do as you request." Vora barked at the Sangheili closest to him. Jess guessed he was the communications officer. The two officers conversed in their natural Sangheilian tongue before the Ship Master turned his attention back to the Spartan at his side. "You should be able to reach this John now." He said.

"How-?"

"Sangheili have acute hearing. You're disagreement with your troops was not as private as you may have originally thought." Vora clarified.

"Right. Remind me to make sure I am out of earshot next time." Jess mumbled, fidgeting slightly.

"Yes. Next time." Vora chuckled as Jessie moved off a little bit to comm her superior.

**"John? This is Jessie. Do you read me?"**

**"I read you. How are you getting through the Covenant frequency jammers?"**

**"That is why I need to talk to you." **She could hear the huff of John's breath as he fought through the aliens occupying the cruiser.

**"Explain quickly. I don't have much time."**

**"Do not secure the Prophet."**

**"What! This whole mission is centered around the capture of that bastard!"**

**"Yes, but the circumstances has changed. I took the bridge, but the Ship Master is a heretic."**

**"...I do-"**

**"Let me finish! His bridge crew and commanding officers are demanding immunity and meetings with Human dignitaries if we are allowed to secure the ship and the Prophet."**

**"Go on."**

**"If you come to the bridge I can finish explaining everything and you can speak to the Ship Master. You don't seem as pissed as I expected."**

**"Oh, I'm pissed alright! I just happen to have some fleshy punching bags with in reach. Helps out, ya'know?"**

**"Just hurry to the bridge."**

**"You're lucky I'm doing this. Remind me to kick your ass the next time I see you."**

John cut the connection after that and Jess let out the breath she did not know she was holding. She the proceeded to spin on her heel till she faced the wall and smashed her black helmet into the wall once before straightening once again.

"I am going to take a wild guess that it didn't go very well." Fred suddenly jumped up in her vision and Jessie nearly had a heart attack.

"Damnit, Fred! Don't jump at me like that!" Jess growled.

"Now is not the time." Fred warned, not wanting to deal with another 'episode' especially not now.

"He took it surprisingly well and promised to kick my ass the next time he saw me." She reported.

"It could have been worse." Will offered as he sauntered over to the other Spartan-IIs.

"Yes, but he is still going to be a loose cannon when he busts in here. 'Ledum?" She turned her attention back to the large alien to her left. He looked at her, eyebrow ridges disappearing under the rim of his hemet in the equivalent of a curious human raising their eyebrows. It seemed the alien knew as many human quirks as well as he knew English. That, or humans and aliens weren't so different in this category. "I want to give you a fair warning that John is going to be pissed beyond belief. I would recommend you stay behind on of us when he gets here. I'm not sure if he will stay true to his word and not kill you."

"You do not believe I am capable of defending myself?" Vora's voice dropped an octave and his eyes narrowed.

"No! I-" He cut her off.

"I do understand what you are saying. I would just appreciate it if you did not convey it in a way that belays I am incapable of such a feat as defending myself." His eyes flicked to an Elite seated near Jessie. "Sit." The officer followed the English command and returned his rear to his chair. Growl dying in his throat. "And as you can see, my brothers do not appreciate the demeaning comments to my dignity either."

"That's not what I-" "Enough." Jess let out a quick frustrated breath before turning away from the alien. If she didn't know better, it seemed like the Sangheili had an almost amused expression as he ended the one-sided reprimand.

There was going to be hell to pay when John busted through those doors, even if it was masked in a fooling calm.

**Hmm…I really liked this chapter! It has to be my favorite! Lots of dialogue. I enjoyed the quick part I added with the POV of Vora. I love Sangheili and it was cool to add their POV to my fic. REVIEW! Big Brother is watching you and knows if you don't leave a review Hope you enjoyed!**

**-Masterful-Mind**

**PS**_**: This chapter has been edited and extended as of Aug.28 2011**_


	11. On A Mission Part III: Defection

_A Spartan's War_

A/N: I apologize for any OOC! I haven't written Chief in a long time, so he is going to be way out of character until I can figure him out again. Please review and vote in my poll!

"**Text" **is helmet coms

"Text" is normal speech

**Chapter 11: On A Mission Part III: Command Bridge cont.**

_**TRIUMPHANT DECLARATION**_** -HALLWAYS-19:00 HOURS**

John glanced behind him, searching for the Spartan aiding him on his side mission. Tiffany, the recent addition to Blue Team, picked her way through the carnage behind him. He was fighting an internal battle and did not have the patience for his slower team member.

"C'mon! We really need to move." He shouted back at her. The door to the bridge was merely feet away. He would much rather go in and getting business taken care of that stay out here and let his mind warp the situation into something larger than himself. A Ship Master openly admitting heresy to one of his troops? Sure seemed like a far fetched idea. It had to be a trap. He hadn't heard from Will or Fred, so he could only hope they had yet to spring the trap themselves.

"Sorry...I don't like walking through this. Cut me a little slack. You know perfectly well that I don't deal with blood and dead bodies very well." Tiffany's voice sounded strained as she jumped over the body of a Hunter and nearly slipped in its slick blood coating the purple floor.

"When we get into the next room keep your gun level and stay behind me." John crisply instructed.

"Whatever you say, Chief." Was the response he received.

The Master Chief focused on putting one foot in front of the other. He picked up his pace and was about to near the door enough to open it, when a familiar Spartan silhouette stepped out into the hall. Hands raised in a defensive posture.

"Chief." Fred said, trying to pull his CO's attention from the door to him.

"I'm assuming you and Will were pulled from your mission as well." He formed a statement rathe than a question.

"No. We rescued the ODSTs and RV'd here like instructed. It was what we found when we arrived. A _heretic_ Ship Master and Jessie." Fred defended.

"Take me to them. I want to see this with _my own _eyes." John said bluntly. By this time Tiffany has scampered up to the two men and was placed snuggly at the Chief's side. He stepped away slightly and followed Fred into the next room.

As he made it around the bend in the wall, he came face to face with the golden mask of one of his Spartan's and a towering, imposing Elite in formal gold armor. Tiffany came through the door next and she followed her previously given instructions. She positioned herself slightly behind the larger Spartan and brought her gun up to bear, helmet angled down the sights and safety flicked off.

"Put your weapon down!" The gold mask dodged around him and her black clad arm pounded into the shoulder of the light brown armor near her. Jessie pack peddled Tiffany into the wall and slapped her rifle down again as the woman tried to raise it for the second and the third time.

"Get off her!" John swung around and his hand latched onto Jessie's bicep armor, yanking her off the smaller Spartan. His own hands itching to pull the trigger on his own rifle.

"You took that well." She said, shaking his hand off her and moving to stand in front of the impressive looking Ship Master.

"And you did?" John barked.

"Hard feelings aside," Jess waved her hand dismissively. "This is ex-Ship Master Vora 'Ledumee." The massive alien shifted his orange copper gaze to the larger man in green armor.

This was the Spartan who was in charge of the team of Demons? He clasped his four-fingered hands behind his back and he shifted his weight slightly towards the Demon's. The one in the grey armor was standing shoulder to shoulder with the man in white, off to his left. The first Demon he had met, the she-Demon in black armor, was directly in front of his body. Within arms reach, he noticed. The most recent additions to the group were a little farther away. The team's leader was the large man in dark green armor and there was a smaller light brown form behind him. He took a wild guess that the two she-Demons did not get along very well based on their welcoming ritual.

"Vora 'Ledum now," He corrected. "And you are?" He tried not to sound too commanding. He wanted this to go as smoothly as possible. The Spartan tightened his hold on his rifle before attaching it to the magnet on his back like the rest of his team. He was visibly uncomfortable.

"Spartan-117. Master Chief Petty Officer." He gruffly recited.

"I am sure you are well aware of the situation. But it may help calm your nerves if you were to hear it from me." He offered.

"I don't want to hear it." The Master Chief turned to the woman in the black armor.

"Did he put you up to this? It's a trap isn't it?" He seemed more accusing than questioning. Vora watched as the woman raised her shoulder a bit and her back muscles tightened beneath her body glove.

"'Ledum speaks the truth. I was not put up to anything and there is no trap." She clenched her jaw and tapped the side of her helmet, activating her internal comm system.

**"What will it take for you to believe me?"** John did not respond. He only stepped closer to Jess and looked at the Elite behind her.

Sizing him up, he noticed the alien had a Plasma Rifle on his thigh and an Energy Sword clipped to his belt. He had an impressive figure. As tall as the average Elite and just as muscular. He wore a purple-grey body glove under his gold armor. The Ship Master's armor was shined to a formal gleam, but it held the telltale marks and scratches of a long, hard service as a warrior to his people. Moving his gaze back up to his face, he took in his gold helmet and the eyes below it. He had intense orange copper eyes that stared right back at his visor as he returned the sizing up. Taking the green Spartan in. His skin was a deep brown, flecked with spots of light grey, reflecting his older age.

Vora flared his mandibles as he waited for the Human to finish sizing him up. The Spartan in front of him was larger than the rest of his team. Only a few inches taller than the other man in grey. 'Fred' as the she-Demon had called him. The man looked well refined by a lifetime of war. He would gain most of his impressions from his voice, as everything was covered in the bulky dark green armor. He casually glanced over to the Spartan in black as she took a step away from the pair and lightly set her hand on the pistol at her side.

"Is the Prophet aware of you harboring five Spartans on your vessel?" The Demon finally asked.

"No." Was Vora's only response before he stepped down into the row of officers at their terminals, walking around and stopping to glance at displays over some shoulders.

"He knows we are aboard the ship. Who doesn't? But he is not aware of the mutiny,shall I say." Jessie said for Vora. "We are heading to the RV we were given once the ship is under our control. We'll just have to deal with a few scuffles until we get there. Then the Ship Master, his bridge crew, and a few officers will be escorted off. Following their exit from the ship, the UNSC and Marines can have a field day with the Prophet and who ever else is on board." She explained.

"You worked this all out?" John shook his head. "I just hope your plan works."

"More 'Ledum's plan than mine. I told him of our mission parameters and he fine tuned things so it will go as smoothly as possible. Meaning fewer heretic deaths before we reach the RV." Jess crossed her arms and turned to watch the Ship Master has he came back to stand near her.

"That correct?" John questioned the Elite.

"Yes."

"Not much of a conversationalist is he?" John mumbled to no one in particular before motioning Jessie over.

Vora dropped heavily into his command chair and rested his head on steepled fingers. Keeping on eye on the bridge and the other on the three Spartans. The one called 'Jessie', the 'Master Chief' and a third in light brown he had yet to learn the designation of. The one Jessie gave a less than friendly greeting to.

Tiffany straightened up and stepped out from behind John as Jessie came to a stop before the two of them.

"Do you trust him?" John asked in a quiet tone.

"He can probably hear us." She warned, remembering his telling her about Sangheili superior hearing.

"Hell, let 'im hear." Tiffany piped up.

"Shut it. You are not a part of this. Go flirt with one of the Helljumpers." Jessie waved Tiffany off. She did not have the patience or time to deal with the girl giving her a hard time just for the hell of it.

"Are you going to answer?" John tried again.

"Yes. I trust him and his alibi." She nodded her head once. John heaved a heavy sigh.

"This sure doesn't happen much. It better work out because it could be worth a lot. How many Elites defect in a war like this?" He admitted.

"Exactly! This could be very valuable." Jessie's hand dropped from her pistol.

"Has the Ship Master told you anything?" Vora's ears perked at the mention of him. He moved his head in their direction slightly, calling out an order to a Sangheili two terminals away.

"Told me what? Intel? Secrets? Alien battle plans? Codes? No. We have had one conversation and it was based upon innocent curiosity and the intent to relieve the awkward tension." Jessie whisper talked.

"You have the opportunity to converse will the enemy without fear of death and you talk about the weather!" John rubbed his neck.

"Not things quite as trivial as the weather. More along the lines of introductions and figuring out boundaries." Vora let out a quiet huff of breath to cover a small bit of laughter. Oh, how naive the Demon was! There was no weather in space to speak of either. He decided to go over to the bickering pair. If the Spartan could interrogate his team member, he could try with the Ship Master as well.

Rising gracefully from his seat, he stepped down to the smooth floor, armored hooves clipping lightly as he settled his full weight on his legs. With purposeful strides, he approached the turned back of Jessie.

"If you can question your team member in such a way, I do not see why you do not come to me questioning." Vora's mandibles twitched slightly in irritation. Jessie's gold visor was visible for a moment as she peaked up and over her shoulder to spy the Sangheili she did not hear or feel come up behind her. Damn, he moved quietly for a tall alien clad in armor. Vora towered exactly two feet over the black armored Spartan when he was standing at his full height of 8' 7".

"I only wished to get a report from Jessie. It does not concern you-" John did not get to finish his sentence. The _**Triumphant Delclaration**_ gave a quick lurch. Throwing its occupants to the right as it dipped.

A few of the ODSTS clattered to the floor as the ship moved out from underneath them. Will tugged on Fred's arm as the two fought to keep balance. Tiffany threw her arms out in a feeble attempt to stay on her feet as John bumped into her and stuck his left arm out in a similar balance keeping fashion. Vora braced his knees and took a heavy step forward at the same time Jessie moved. She wobbled a bit and stepped back a bit to try and find her center of gravity again. Successfully smacking her back into the Sangheili behind her.

"Report!" Vora shouted. A small Elite tapped furiously on his terminal before answering his commander.

"We had a temporary power surge in the starboard engine! Back up generators will be online in five minutes. Expect more shifting as the generators try and level the cruiser." He then proceeded to stand up and retrieve data pads that had spilled off his table during the shift.

Vora stumbled a bit and lightly gripped Jessie's shoulder as the cruiser bucked again. He felt her shoulder pull a bit and tighten under his deft fingers. He then released his grip and wobbled his way as gracefully as he could over to the security feed terminal. The Sangheili at that terminal tapped a few icons in a foreign language and a live feed appeared.

Vora narrowed his eyes as he watched the real time security feed from Engineering.

"Someone tell me what a Jiralhanae Chieftain and Honor Guard are doing down in Engineering!" He roared. A small growl forming in the back of his throat.

An ancient looking Elite spoke up from the back of the room. The pale orange glow of his screen and the sharp blue light from the wall behind him illuminating he aged face. "I do not know, Ship Master, but I would guess that the Brute's are attempting mutiny as well. Fall into the graces of the Hierarchs faster." He gravely voice said.

Vora let out the growl that was building and momentarily lost his cool as he smashed his clenched fist into the table. "The San 'Shyuum on board already favors Jiralhanae. We cannot afford mutiny on this ship! We are so close to our own freedom at the moment!" 'Ledum exclaimed.

The navigations officer swiveled back to his computer. "ETA two hours to the Human RV point."

"We can handle any Brutes that come up here until the reach the RV." Jessie turned to John.

"Just keep your bird flying and we can handle everything else." John agreed.

Vora threw a glance over his shoulder at the two Spartans.

"The _**Triumphant Declaration **_will never fall to the Jiralhanae." Vora growled. "You may get to shoot something yet."

"My team and I can scout the ship and take care of anyone around the command center." John faced his troops and the ODSTs.

"No. The Command Center is one of the safest places on this vessel. Stay here. If anyone comes knocking, then you go out and clean things up." Vora shook his head, telling Chief his plan. It was his ship after all and he knew it better than anyone.

"Hey! I think we get a say in this too. We ain't no grunts here!" A tall ODST pushed his way to the front of his men. Jessie sighed as Logan dipped his chin in her direction. She had not had time to inspect the ODSTs Fred and Will had liberated. It just had to be _that _son of a bitch's squad.

"And now he gets his voice back." Will mumbled.

"You were not refused a say. You just didn't speak up." John said. Relations between ODSTs and Spartans had always been a little tough. Spartans being _freaks_ and all. Always in the limelight, getting the hardest missions a Helljumper would just die to go on.

"For the sake of getting out alive, I would appreciate if your two squads could work as one functioning unit until we are all back in relative safety." Vora straightened to his full height and strode over to the two squads. Stopping between the Spartan leader and the Helljumper leader.

"I don't take my orders from Split-lips." Logan said disgusted and defiantly crossed his arms over his armored chest. Vora let out a short breath and looked to the pompous man, mandibles constricting irascibly and one hand in a loose fist.

"Knock it off, Logan. Now is not the time to get touchy about what species the superior giving you orders are. 'Ledum's status is equal to that of a Human Naval Captain. Get used to it." Jessie barked, walking towards the clustered Helljumpers and stopping four Sangheili sized paces from Ship Master 'Ledum.

Logan was about to retort when an enraged howl sounded from beyond the door, in the hallway.

"Jiralhanae Chieftain, Ship Master!" A Sangheili turned in his chair, rising to his feet and placing his hand on his weapon, the sharp blue light throwing shadows and illuminated streaks on his polished armor.

"Let the Demons take care of it, 'Reshin." Vora 'Ledum signaled for the youngster to once again take his seat.

"Fred, Jessie. Take care of that Brute. Will and I will be your back up in here. Tiffany, open the door." The Master Chief instructed. Light brown armor scampered over to the door. Poised to act once Jessie and Fred were in position. She punched the controls and the purple doors slid back with a soft ding.

Fred shot out into the hall, Jessie trailing slight behind. Neither were fast enough. The Chieftain swung his heavy hammer around his head, effectively clearing the doorway.

The Brute paused, threw out his arms and emitted a heavy bellow. Shouldering his Gravity Hammer and turned on the target nearest him. Tiffany. Jessie flicked the safety off her rifle and proceeded to bombard the alien with bullets. His shields and armor absorbed the impacts, making the attack useless.

"Tiffany! Move!" The girl did not. Fear and terror rooting her to the spot. Spittle flew from the ape-like alien's mouth as he reached striking distance. Pushing off with her feet, Jessie launched herself at the scared woman. She hit Tiffany with her shoulder, causing her to loose her balance and crash to the floor a few feet away.

Swinging his hammer with all his strength behind it, the Chieftain smashed the powerful end into the black armored Spartan. The blow picked her up some, smashing her into the wall. Jessie's mouth opened in a silent cry as the whiplash from the impact sent her head reeling into the wall. She felt her breath whoosh out of her lungs and her armor give a bit under the shield-breaking blow.

Doing her best to regain her senses, she could hear the frantic ping of bullets hitting the massive ape-alien pinning her to the wall. The familiar coppery taste of blood on her tongue as she realized she had bit her lower lip.

"You dumb ape!" Jessie reached out with her hands, grabbing the handle of the hammer and bracing her feet against the wall. "Pick...on someone...your...own...size!" She felt her muscles protest as she pushed the Brute back. He yanked his hammer from her as his shields chirped, signaling they were getting dangerously lower.

Another enraged roar left his lips as hot plasma smacked into him. The Sangheili would not give up their bridge. Fred barely dodged a powerful blow by the hammer and slammed his rifle into the alien's side. The sound of broken armor and bones evident.

The young Sangheili from earlier snarled at the Jiralhanae and smashed his rifle through the head of his opposer, effectively killing him and once again proving how deadly and efficient warriors the Sangheili race was.

Clutching her painful stomach, Jessie stooped to pick up her rifle before firing three rounds through the Brute's head to ensure he really was dead.

"Oh my God." Tiffany shakily whispered. Jessie saw the woman still sprawled on the floor where she had shoved her. She offered her hand and yanked Tiffany to her feet, much to her body's protest. "Welcome to the frontlines." Jessie murmured.

"Get that dirty animal out of my bridge." Vora waved his Plasma Rifle in emphasis. The young officer and companion gripped the body and pulled it out to the hallway before returning.

"Your help is appreciated." Vora nodded his head to the Humans and the young officer who killed the Brute. John reloaded his rifle and Tiffany cautiously came to stand next to him. Visibly shaken, even through her heavy armor.

The young officer, 'Reshin as Vora had said, turned to converse with Fred.

Vora surveyed the bridge before turning his attention to Jessie. She still stood where she had pulled Tiffany back to her feet. Her hand was splayed gently over front as she took a few shallow breaths, working the oxegyn back into her lungs. She dropped her hand from her front and angled her helmeted head up and 'Ledum approached her.

"Are you alright?" He calmly questioned. "One does not just walk away from a Chieftain attack." Hands clasped behind his back.

"I'm...I'm fine. Just a little shook up is all." She nodded her head once in confirmation.

"Your body does not believe that theory." He pointed to where her hand had previously been, then reached down and grasped her wrist. Jessie involuntarily broke his grasp by forcefully yanking her wrist away.

"Sorry. I-don't touch me, 'kay? It is a long story. Maybe I'll tell it to you sometime?" Vora's coppery eyes flicked over her visor before slowly nodding.

"Yes, I would enjoy a story. If we are to cross paths when this is over, I will take you up on that offer." Had he been able to see Jessie's eyes, she would have been looking everywhere but his penetrating gaze, head and neck dipped a bit so he could see the Human's gold visor.

Jessie raised her hand to look at the palm. Vora's original goal before she denied him her wrist. The thick black glove held a dark red sheen on her fingertips.

"Damn." She breathed. Her lip was still bleeding, now so was her abdomen. She pressed her fingers to her front, at the bottom of her ribcage on the right side, her armor caved in a bit and little droplets of red beaded and pushed their way out.

"How could you-?" She didn't need to finish her question, Vora understood.

"Sangheili have a very keen sense of smell. Much like dogs on Earth. Human blood is a very unique smell and is easy to pick up." He shrugged his broad shoulders slightly.

"Ah." Jessie said.

"I am afraid that the medical bay is out of the question for you." Vora said.

"That's fine. My suit will help some and I have biofoam somewhere." Jessie pulled some medigel from a pack on her belt and was about to apply it, when the ship jerked again. Vora's hand shot out to the wall and he steadied himself. But his hand was resting on the wall a few inches away from Jessie. His neck bent to help lower his center of gravity.

When he looked up a bit, Jessie's visor filled most of his vision.

"Oh, excuse me." She attempted to sidestep away from his arm braced on the wall and his lowered head. Vora let out a rough breath, nearly a chuckle.

"I do not mind." He straightened and watched the Human apply biofoam to her wound. A splash of red caught his attention and he noticed two small streaks of crimson on the armor protecting his abdomen. Her hand must have brushed him as she steadied herself during the shift. He could smell the blood easily and he breathed out slowly.

By this time, John had moved over to Jessie and was quizzing her on her stupid move and injury.

"Would rather it was Tiffany crushed under the hammer?" She perched on hand on her hip.

"No, I-"

"Exactly! Take it as a favor. I saved your little girlfriend, lover boy." Jessie hissed.

"Don't blow it out of proportion, Jessie." Will said.

"I'll try not to." She brushed past Fred and slid down the wall in the back of the room as the other Humans spread out to journey the rest of the trip.

_**TRIUMPHANT DECLARATION-**_**COMMAND CENTER-21:00 HOURS**

Jessie's eyelids felt heavy. She had not slept in over a day and exhaustion was beginning to catch up to her. Her eyes slid shut, but she was soon awaken by someone shaking her shoulder to wake her. A blazing ODST none the less.

"What?" She grouched.

"We are nearing the RV point." He said before returning to his position next to Logan.

Jessie yawned and adjusted the helmet on her head before situating herself so she could stand. She hissed a bit as her armor poked her wound, but other than that she stood up without any complications. She spied her other teammates around the room. Fred was looking at something on a data pad, occasionally pointing something out to Will. John's head was dipped to his chest, indicating sleep. Tiffany sat near him, head moving back and forth as she surveyed the large room. The Helljumpers were in a small corner not far away, talking among themselves quietly. Vora, she noticed, was surprisingly absent from the Command Center.

Sighing and rolling her shoulders, she walked down the steps to one of the terminals.

'Reshin was working quietly, hands moving over icons on the keyboard and eyes glued to the readout on his terminal.

"How far out are we?" She asked, coming to a stop near his elbow.

'Reshin glanced over his shoulder at her before tapping an icon twice. His eyes scanned the runes and symbols that were completely foreign to the Spartans before he gave her an answer.

"20 minutes, ma'am."

"Drop the formalities." She leaned her hip against the table. The youngster looked uncomfortable for a second then he regained his composure.

"Then what do I call you?" He began tapping at his display again.

"My name would suffice. Call me Jessie." She paused for a moment, then slowly extended her hand to him. 'Reshin's yellow eyes looked down at her hand, his brow pulled together.

"Oh, a handshake, right. Typical Human greeting ritual," He recited before extending his own hand and attempted to wrap his large four-fingered hand around her smaller five-fingered hand before shaking it once. "'Reshin. Niro 'Reshin." He introduced himself.

"Ah, nice to see my crew getting acquainted with our guests." Vora 'Ledum's deep voice sounded from behind Jessie. Niro's light brown face flushed purple in the pale light of his console and he quickly dropped the Demon's hand. The light orange light of the console lit up Jessie's gold visor, making it flash slightly as she turned her head and the sharp blue accent lights gave her black armor step edges mixed with dark undertones.

"Uh-S-Ship Master, ETA 15 minutes until we reach the Human RV point." 'Reshin shakily reported to his superior. Vora craned his thick neck down towards the smaller Sangheili.

"No need to stutter." He said. 'Reshin glanced up from his work, the corner of his eyes creasing.

Jessie removed her hip from the table, standing more at attention and in a less casual stance. She reached over her shoulder and adjusted her rifle that was magnetized to her back. Vora swung his head between the nervous young officer and the quiet Spartan.

"As you were." He spun on one hoof and started his rounds. Checking in with his officers. 'Reshin looked back over at Jessie once 'Ledum walked away.

"In Sangheili culture, elders are treated with much respect," his fingers traced a memorized pattern over the screen. "Elders who have achieved greatness in the military, well, to a young Sangheili like me, are rather intimidating."

"The Ship Master is an elder?" Jess pushed at the release on her helmet, loosening it so she could readjust her hemet before tightening it again.

"No. He is older than most here," He gestured to the other alien on the bridge. "He has achieved much in the military. When approached one-on-one, he is imposing." Niro shrugged sheepishly.

"Oh. You must be accomplished yourself if you hold an officer's position on the bridge and aren't some ground-pounder." She offered. Niro looked confused at the Human terminology, but continued none the less.

"Yes, I am proud of achieving the status of Major. My Uncle is a Councilor. He has enough sway to pull the right strings to help me along." His cheeks and mandibles flushed purple for the second time that day.

Jessie turned and leaned against the table Niro's terminal was situated on.

"You and the Ship Master speak English very well. I'm assuming you took the time to learn it." She crossed her arms and looked over at the officer.

"Yes. If you were to talk to everyone here, you would see that we all know English very well. We may have some form of an accent and trouble pronouncing some words due to the shape of our mouths, but we all speak English." He confirmed. "It is a way to relate to the Humans. Erase that animalistic idea Humans harbor about us." His eyes flicked from the screen to his Ship Master as he drew near again. Completing his circle.

Jess noticed his nervousness. "Is he really that imposing?"

"Yes. He...he just is."

"I think me being here with you is making it worse."

"A little. Sorry, but a Demon has quite the presence themselves." At that Niro stopped talking and turned his full attention to his work. Jessie pushed off the table and climbed the few steps up to the main level and returned to her previous position by the wall.

"ETA five minutes. Breaking atmo in one." An officer said somewhere off to her left.

"This is it." Jess mumbled to herself. She watched as the ODST and Spartan teams got to their feet, checking and rechecking gear and weapons. Will approached one of the communications officers and soon he had a link to the _**Pillar of Autumn**_ established. Keyes' voice cut into the room.

"Spartans. This is Keyes. It is good to hear from you."

John approached the console, followed closely by Vora.

"Sir, the mission has changed. The ship has been secured, but we are under some special circumstances."

"Explain." Keyes voice deadpanned.

"The Ship Master and his bridge crew are heretics. They do not follow the Covenant and they wish for immunity and meetings with Human dignitaries. They shall leave the ship and Prophet to us if the previous conditions are met."

"How is the condition of your team? Did you find the Helljumpers?"

"The ODSTs are with us, mild casualties. My team is in tact for the most part. No serious injuries at the moment."

"Fine. Tell the Ship Master-" Keyes was cut off.

"I am here." The voice was distinctly non-Human, so there was no need to clarify who it was.

"Your conditions will be met Ship Master. I can not promise speed or immediate action, but it will happen. You are granted immunity on my ship and will be escorted from yours to safety." Keyes sighed at the end.

"Thank you, Captain." Vora nodded even though Keyes could not see him.

"Let's get this over with. I want the Spartans back aboard the _**Autumn**_." At that the connection was severed. Early morning sky streaked past the windows as the crew navigated the large cruiser, having passed the _**Autumn**_ a few minutes ago when they had entered atmo.

The cruiser leveled out over a large grassy plain. Warthogs, a Pelican, and Marines visible on the ground.

"We need to get you and your crew out of here. We are going to have to push through a vessel full of pissed off aliens to do that." John swiveled to face Vora.

"Lock down the cruiser. Leave the most direct route out open." He then looked to the Spartans team leader. "It won't be anything we can't handle." He snatched his Plasma Rifle off his leg, fitting his hand into it comfortably.

"Let's go."

**Jeez, this was a long chapter! I just kept writing and couldn't find a decent place to stop. I think I did a good job making this chapter neutral when it comes to Chief and the Ship Master. I kinda feel like I neglected all the other characters, especially Chief, and focused a lot on Vora and Jessie. Oh well. Please leave a review!**

**-Masterful-Mind**


	12. Welcome to the Pillar of Autumn

_A Spartan's War_

A/N: I apologize for any OOC! I haven't written Chief in a long time, so he is going to be way out of character until I can figure him out again. Please review!

"**Text" **is helmet coms

"Text" is normal speech

**Chapter 12: Welcome to the Pillar of Autumn**

**UNKNOWN PLANET-21:30 HOURS**

The Marines level their guns and warmed up the gattling guns on the backs of the three Warthogs. A cluster of bodies exited the cruiser. They looked worn, but alive.

"Stand down, Marines." A Human voice rose. The troopers relaxed and lover their weapons so they were pointed towards the ground and not the oncoming Spartans.

When the group reached the Marines, the looks on their faces as they saw the Elites, was that of fear. Knowing full well what could happen at the hands of the adversary.

"Their with us." John pointed over his shoulder with one thumb. The tired looking ODSTs beelined it for the nearest Pelican.

"You're wanted back on board, Chief. Your team too. And I guess this little party you got with ya'." One of the Marines relayed.

Blue Team entered one of the Pelicans, followed by 'Ledum, 'Reshin, and two other officers. The rest filled in with the ODSTs.

The giant grey birds took to the air and made their way towards the belly of the Human frigate just inside the atmosphere.

Jessie rested her helmet against the back of her crash seat. Closing her eyes a bit. How she was dying for a war shower and some food! She stretched her legs and propped them out in front of her, crossed at the ankles. She could vaguely hear one of the Sangheili officers talking to Fred, but she shut everything out as she fell into a light slumber.

Once again, she awoke to a hand shaking her shoulder. This time she looked up into the yellow gaze of Niro instead of the ODST.

"We have arrived aboard your vessel." He said quietly. She nodded her head in thanks then hauled herself to her feet. She was the last Human off the Pelican, followed by Vora and some of his officers. As they entered the hanger, she could see Colonel Ackerson, Captain Keyes and a few Marines. The ODSTs moved towards Ackerson while the other officers joined their group. Making eight officers and one Ship Master.

"Blue Team." Keyes greeted the Spartans, Ackerson just gave them a dry stare. The Spartans snapped to attention before Keyes returned the gesture. "At ease." His attention then turned to the tall aliens standing behind the super-soldiers. The tallest being, Sip Master 'Ledum.

"You must be the Ship Master. I am Captain Jacob Keyes and I welcome you to the _**Pillar of Autumn**_." He extended his hand in greeting, but also in an outward show of acceptance and the absence of hostility.

"I thank you, Captain for allowing us to come aboard. I am Ship Master Vora 'Ledum and I am joined by my bridge crew. They are loyal to me and our path away from the Covenant. They pose no threat to you or the troops on your vessel." Vora stepped around the Spartans and grasped the Human Captain's hand in his much larger one, shaking it twice.

Colonel Ackerson's eyes traveled between the large alien and the Captain when they joined their hands and shook. He refused to blink when the Elite's leader looked his way and orange copper eyes met cold brown, the Ship Master flicked his mandibles as he turned his gaze back to the Captain.

"I will have my men show your officers their quarters. I would like to meet with you, Ship Master, on the bridge in an hour." Keyes instructed.

"Of course." Was Vora's only response.

When the aliens and Spartans left, Ackerson said, "I hate having aliens on this ship."

_**PILLAR OF AUTUMN**_**-22:10 HOURS**

Jessie walked through the crowed of UNSC personnel as she made her way to the armory. As she entered, she was met by one of the technicians. Peters, if she remembered correctly.

"This way, ma'am." He led her over to the section of the large room dedicated to testing MJOLNIR armor. She listened as the technician droned on about her shields. Testing them not three times but four. He then proceeded to have her test the sights of her HUD. Once he was through subjecting her to tests, he began his customary lecture on how to treat the MJOLNIR armor while out on the field.

He droned on and on, not realizing the situations she was presented while in a battle and could care less about the _proper_ way to treat her armor. She shifted from foot to foot. Then she popped the seal on her neck gator and lifted her black helmet off her head. Her short hair fell down in a knotted mess just above her shoulders and she pinched the bridge of her nose. A noise made her look up.

Vora 'Ledum walked into the armory being led by a very skittish technician. It was obvious the man was dying to check out the alien tech, but he was just as afraid of the alien inhabiting the armor. Vora looked up and meet her gaze. He looked very out of place here among the Humans. She dipped her chin in a silent greeting and he returned the gesture, mandibles twitching a bit as he did so. Her attention was pulled back to the technician as he repeated her ID number.

"057? 057, are you listening?" He perched on hand on his hip.

"Yeah, keep going." She nestled her helmet under her arm and tried to listen to Peters.

Vora recognized the Spartan as soon as he walked into the large grey room. The tall frame and black armor telling him it was Jessie, the she-Demon he encountered much earlier that day. He admitted to himself that he was shocked when he saw her without her helmet. All the story telling and rumors about the human Demons. Always in their armor, the possibility they were not even Human. The woman was _very _Human, that was for sure.

She had a round face with dark blue eyes. Eyes that looked exhausted and strained. The Humans must work their Spartans very hard. Her hair was knotted, indicating continued helmet abuse and it was dark blonde and curly. A rare trait among Humans these days, it being a recessive gene. Her lips were pressed into a tight line as she listened to the technician, his arms making wild gestures to prove his point.

He could smell her too. He could smell all the Humans in the room. Each with their own individual scent. He flared his nostrils a bit, drinking it all in. She smelled of sweat, metallic armor, and what was that smell? Vanilla? He could also catch a whiff of Human blood and the tang of his vessel.

Vora's attention was brought back to his own technician as poked the locking mechanism on his abdomen armor before scampering away. When he looked back up, the Spartan and technician were no longer in the one-sided conversation. His copper gaze quickly scanned the room and spotted Jessie heading towards a door. She gave him a small smile then exited the room.

The technician once again prodded his side and quickly move away.

"I do not bite." He said to the pale man. He just widened his eyes and looked around franticly for his buddy that had been with the Spartan moments ago.

"Peters!" He called out, then instructed the Sangheili to lift his arms so he had better access to the alien armor. Vora flared his mandibles in amusement and watched the man named Peters join his companion.

"What is it now, Paul? How many times do I have to tell you to not bother the aliens? You could have at least picked one of a lower rank." Peters' gaze shifted from Vora to Paul. "I'm terribly sorry about all this, sir. You may go." Vora lowered his arms.

"Who was that you were just with?" He questioned even though he already knew.

"Oh, that was 057. She is one of our resident Spartan-IIs. Real bitch if you rub her the wrong way, being one of them super-soldiers and all." He casually began to work on one of the suits of proto-MJLONIR next to him.

"Ah. Where do you think she went?" He examined the armor the technician was tinkering with.

"The big wigs have been working the Spartans like dogs lately. She's probably going to eat, sleep, or clean up. Three things you always want to do after a long mission."

Thank you." Vora turned and left through the same door Jessie had, passing the Master Chief on the way out.

He too had his helmet off. His hair sticking up in clumps and his dark brown eyes looked worn. His skin pale, and cheekbones prominent. He nodded at Vora and continued into the armory.

_**PILLAR OF AUTUMN**_**-22:40 HOURS**

Jessie let out a long, relieved sigh as the warm water of the shower cascaded down her taunt back, loosening the exhausted muscles and washing the mission off her shoulders.

She slowly rubbed a soapy cloth over the wound she had received from the crazed Brute Chieftain, washing it out. It didn't look too bad, she wouldn't be running off to the medic anytime soon. It was a small laceration about the length of her palm and it had dried blood on and around it as well has a swollen blue and red bruise across her ribs. How she loved her armor. Making it out alive after encounters like that made Peters' long lectures worth the work he put into her systems.

She closed her eyes and gently massaged shampoo into her hair, closed her eyes, and let the warm water run over her abused body. When the timer chimed, she let out another sigh and grabbed her towel from the rack before drying herself off. She padded over to the corner the Spartans used in the locker room and proceeded to get dressed.

She toweled her hair and turned one of the many corners in the locker room. She came face to face with Niro 'Reshin. He paused in taking his deep red armor off and looked up at her.

"Niro." She greeted with a small grin.

He let out a deep sigh before removing his thigh armor and answering her.

"I thought you were just another human. Scared me you did. I wasn't sure how I was going to tell someone I came in here to get cleaned up." He then removed the rest of his leg armor and moved to his torso.

"I can imagine that you would like to avoid that." She answered before dropping her towel into a bin.

"You look different without your armor. I didn't recognize you. Seeing as I can actually see your face now and you are a bit shorter." He said sheepishly.

"I could say the same about you." She motioned towards him. He now just stood in his bodysuit that extended from his hooves to his fingertips all the way up to the base of his head. The silvery material catching the overhead light. He gave the Sangheili equivalent of a nervous smile and excused himself to the showers.

"See you later." said Jess as she walked back out into the hall, intent on getting something to eat before she crashed.

_**PILLAR OF AUTUMN-**_**23:20 HOURS**

Before her door even closed, she hit the pillow. She normally wasn't this tired after a mission, but she welcomed the warm embrace of sleep as she pulled the cover up to her shoulders.

After what seemed like a few minutes, she rolled over and groggily looked at the offensive red numbers shinning brightly on her clock. _3:46 AM_. With a groan she smacked her pillow. Why did her body have to wake up! She still felt extremely tired and she _knew_ she wouldn't be able to get back to sleep now.

She grumbled as she pulled on a pair of OD green pants, her black boots and grabbed a grey jacket. She was feeling a little lethargic in her room and walked out into the still busy hall, even at the early hour. The bright overhead light assaulted her tired eyes as she walked towards the mess hall.

When she arrived, she tossed her jacket into a booth and went to retrieve a cup of coffee. It wasn't real Earth coffee, but it did the job. Setting her cup on the table the plunked into the seat and fumbled with her dogtags. She heard the mumbled conversations of the other mess hall patrons, but all her attention was on drinking her hot beverage, staring blankly at the opposite wall and toying with her dogtags.

She barely noticed when another figure sat down on the booth across from her.

"It does not seem that caffeinated beverage is doing its job." A deep voice said. Jess took another swig of the watery coffee and set the cup down on the table. Her other hand continuing to mess with the ID tags around her neck.

She forced her bleary eyes to focus and Vora 'Ledum came into view.

"Never does." Was her tired response. Vora only chuckled.

"Then why do you drink it?" He questioned.

"It is one of my little ways of feeling like a normal Human for a few minutes." She admitted, lips pulling into a thin line before she took another drink.

"Then I wish you your best when drinking the coffee." He said. Jess just glared at him over the rim of the paper cup. "Did I say something wrong?" He tilted his head questioningly.

"Nah. I'm just in a poor mood." She swirled her drink before placing it on the tabletop.

"You look different." said Vora.

"That's what Niro said too." She finally left her ID tags alone and the gave one final clink before resting silently on the front of her shirt. Vora looked at them. He had seen all the Humans wearing them. Some type of military ID maybe?

"You've seen Niro 'Reshin since we departed the _**Triumphant Declaration**_?"

"Yeah. I caught him off guard in the locker room. He didn't recognize me because I was out of my armor and he could see my face. He thought I looked smaller."

"Not quite as small as a normal human, but smaller, yes."

"Thanks."

"I'm guessing that I said something wrong this time. Not the foul mood you claim to be in." Jess looked up into his face. The bright white lights allowed her to see his brown skin and the small, light grey flecks that showed his beginning to age.

"Humans don't like to be called small. Superiority complex, I guess. We are a sensitive race." Vora flared his mandibles in understanding.

"What are you doing up this early?"

"Couldn't sleep. I'm exhausted, but my body has decided it wants to skip out on a little more rest. What are you doing? Do you have permission to roam the ship on your own?"

"Yes. I can go where I please."

"Then what are you doing in here with me? Shouldn't _you _be _sleeping_?"

"I suffer from the same insomnia that has urged you here as well. It is a little difficult to sleep on a foreign ship with a species you once killed for a career."

"You make a valid point." She reached to the bench next to her and shrugged on her jacket.

"Wait."

"What?"

"Let me see your arm." He gestured for her to slid the arm of the jacket off. She slid her arm out and rested it on the table for him to see. "May I?" He lifted one hand, asking permission, remembering her last reaction to his touch.

"Yeah, go ahead."

He lightly gripped her upper arm and turned it a bit so he could clearly see the tattoo. 0_57_ was tattooed into her skin in dark block letters. He rubbed one finger over it then questioned, "You have this same tattoo on your other arm, correct?"

"Yes, I do."

"One of the technicians, Peters if I recall, called you oh-fifty-seven."

"Yes. My official title is Spartan-057. Many of us retain our names instead of using Spartan or Sierra. In my case, I tend to go by Jessie-057. I would tell you more, but I am part of a program that is under wraps."

Vora released her arm and she placed it back in the jacket sleeve. His skin felt nothing like she expected. Fighting Elites all her life had placed barriers in her mind towards what they _really_ were like. His hand was warm and leathery, yet still retained a smoothness He looked thoughtful.

"I don't know what to say."

"That's fine. A comfortable silence is better than an awkward one." The two slipped into silence. Jessie still nursing her coffee and Vora looked at his hands splayed on his lap. When he looked back up, her eyelids had drooped a bit.

"You're still in your armor."

"I do not have any of my belongings with me and it would not be acceptable if I walked around clad only in my bodysuit."

"We'll have to see to that. We might have something that will work for now aboard this bucket," She looked his armor up and down, what she could see above the table at least."Is that blood?"

Vora glanced down at the two streaks of her blood. They had dried to brown red streaks, but they still stuck to the smooth surface of his golden armor.

"Ah, yes. It is yours too."

"Oh." The bridge of Jess' nose turned a slight pink as well as the tops of her cheeks.

"When the ship tilted and I was asking you about your injury, I braced my arm against the wall and you moved as well. The hand that you touched the gash with must have brushed me." Jess stayed quiet.

"Why haven't you washed it off?"

"I haven't had a chance. And maybe I don't want to." His mandibles danced a little. Jessie's face went blank, then she smirked.

"That or you like to decorate your armor with the blood of your dead enemies. Animalistic tendencies, I might add." Vora chuckled a bit. A heavy, deep sound that came from his throat.

"Of course." She just smirked proudly.

"This has been very interesting, but I feel like I'm going to pass out on you if I keep this up." She stood, indicating that she was going to leave.

"I will walk with you." Vora stood too and followed her out of the mess hall.

The pair walked side by side down the hallways, humans throwing glances and looks at the Spartan and Elite.

Jessie stopped when she reached room 57. "This is it." She turned and unlocked the door.

"We just had all that time together and you did not tell me that story like you promised." He took a small step forward. Jess looked from her door to the massive alien form.

"To hell with it. Come on in. Don't blame me if I pass out." She pushed the door open and held ip wide enough for Vora to duck into the room.

"Don't worry. I won't let you pass out."

"Right." She shut the door then motioned to the chair sitting at her desk. He pulled it out, turned it to face her bed and sat down. Jessie settled herself on top of the covers on her bed. "Its not a very happy story."

"I have heard my share of stories without happy endings. I can handle another." He unlocked the latch on his helmet and lowered it to his lap.

"I'm one of those people with a sap story for a life. When I was younger, about six or seven, my parents were murdered in front of my brother and I. We lived on a small backwater planet no one would care about. The only thing was it was primarily full of criminals, gangs, and Insurrectionists. Not the best place to raise kids, but my mom and dad did their best. My parents supported the UNSC and showed it quite openly, not the safest thing to do." She paused to get a breath.

"One day a local gang decided to take care of my parents. They were beat, tied, and murdered all within two hours. My older brother and I forced to watch. I swore to never fire a gun after that day, but that didn't happen. My brother and I were left to make our way in the streets. We had plenty of scrapes with the wrong kinds of people. It was a long four years. We taught ourselves self defense and we learned to live off the smallest of things." She glanced up and saw Vora with his head tilted when he listened intently or asked a question.

"My brother up and disappeared one day. I was nine and didn't know if he was dead, left me, or got caught by the authorities. I was eventually picked up and put into a foster care program. I had foster parents for a year, but they turned out to be abusive. I ran away. I knew the streets so I returned to my old life with hopes of finding my brother. That never happened. Soon after I was picked up by Dr. Halsey for the Spartan-II project. I was ten at the time. I can't go into much detail about the program, but it was hard adjusting to a new life and new set of rules and morals. I just decided that I didn't want people to touch me. Every time someone did, I got hurt or scared or it reminded me of a past scuffle. I figured if I kept to my self, then _I _was in control of my body and _no one_ else was. It has been that way ever since. Some feel it is getting worse, but I can't do much about it and it doesn't affect by effectiveness on the battlefield." She summed up her story with a shrug and studied her lap.

Vora set his helmet on the desk to his left and tilted the chair a bit to make his long legs more comfortable. He stayed silent for a moment, trying to string the right words together in his head.

"Thank you for telling me." He mentally growled at himself. Was that the best he could do?

"No. Thanks you. I've never told someone before. I've only known you for a few days, but it helped having you listen." She raised her eyes to meet his. The tips of his mandibles twitched slightly.

"The pleasure was mine. Your reaction is justified now that I know why it occurs. But, have you ever tried moving beyond it?"

"I don't need a therapist." She scrunched her eyebrows together. Vora lifted his neck a bit and let out a quiet laugh.

"I also forgot how you humans act like kits sometimes." A grin gracing his mandibles.

"Kits?-We don't act like children." She countered.

"If you say so." Vora watched Jess as she tried to stifle a yawn behind her hand. "You need to rest. If you are like my men, you don't get much sleep." Vora stood and replaced the chair to its spot at the desk. Jessie rolled her eyes, kicking off her boots and throwing her jacket into her locker.

"If you insist." She smirked.

"Yes, I do. Now sleep." He stood and made sure she climbed back into her bed and adjusted the covers. Helmet in hand, "Good night." He walked to the door and let himself out. Hearing a mumbled, "Good night to you too." as he shut the door behind him.

Yes, she did need her sleep, but it wasn't the only reason he needed to escape her room. He had entered her quarters, and it smelled so much like _her_. The metallic armor and vanilla from earlier. With such a keen sense of smell, being in a room that held such a heavy scent of one person could be over powering for a Sangheili. Once he was back in the hall, it was much easier to breath. Multiple scents hitting his nostrils at once, but they were weaker. Not as strong as her sent as it attacked him while he was in her quarters.

He soon stood in front of his own door a few minutes later and turned the light on as he entered the room. He set his helmet down and worked on relieving himself of the rest of his polished gold armor. It soon ended up in an organized pile of the floor near the desk. He didn't bother taking off his bodysuit as he slumped into the Spartan sized bed. He had been lucky to get an extra room meant to house one of the super-soldiers, but the bed was still small by his standards. But he was too tired to care. He just rested his head on the pillow and drew his legs up a bit before closing his eyes and letting sleep to draw him into its dreamless depths.

**I don't know what a baby Sangheili is called, so I guessed at kit. I liked it and it seemed to work. This was another Jessie and Vora centric chapter. More character development on their parts. But I feel like I'm neglecting the other characters! I am considering a huge overhaul and alteration of chapters 1-9. Something is really bugging me about them and I want to change 'em.**

**Please review! C'mon people, I can check and see how many hits I have and how many of you neglected to leave a comment. I want to know what you guys think of my work!**

**-Masterful-Mind**


	13. Evolution

_A Spartan's War_

A/N: I apologize for any OOC! I haven't written Chief in a long time, so he is going to be way out of character until I can figure him out again. Please review and vote in my poll! Oh, and a quick note: I decided that Jess can ignore her issue with touch when she is fighting. And I kind of imagine R'tas Vadum's voice from Halo 3 when I write Vora.

Reviewers will get their names in the next chapter in a big thank you!

"**Text" **is helmet coms

"Text" is normal speech

**Chapter 13: Evolution**

_**PILLAR OF AUTUMN**_**-06:10 HOURS**

A loud knock on the door pulled Vora from his sleep.

"Ship Master?" A Human voice asked.

"Yes?"

"Captain Keyes is requesting your presence as soon as possible." 'Ledum listened as the messenger's footsteps faded away before he pulled himself from the bed and stretched. He could he joints pop as he arched his back and pulled at his arms. He rubbed a knuckle against one eye before going alone with his morning rituals.

He splashed water on his face and adorned his gold Assault Armor in less than half an hour. As he walked by the small rectangular mirror above the sink, he paused. Staring back at him was the brownish red streak of blood on his armor. Should he wash it off? He didn't bother to at the moment. He had more pressing duties.

His life suddenly felt empty. He rarely retired from the bridge to his quarters. Generally sneaking into a small adjoining room to catch a few hours of sleep. He was used to being in charge. Sitting in his command chair and overseeing a bust Command Center. Barking orders and gathering reports.

Now he was a heretic with no ship under his command. _He _was the one being _summoned_ in the same manner he would his own men. How life could change so quickly! At least his was for the better.

The Humans accepted his offer and conditions easily. There was still the distrust and skepticism at first, but it had gone away as he and his loyal officers proved they were Sanghelians of their word.

_"The Humans are not much different than ourselves."_ He thought. When he used to be a mindless Covenant Commander, he had noticed how there was a grudging respect for Humans among the Sangheili. They weren't the lowlife plague of a species they had originally thought. They could be a force to reckon with when they put their little minds to it.

_**PILLAR OF AUTUMN-**_**06:40 HOURS**

Vora entered the bridge to see a commotion of activity that kept the vessel in proper order.

"Ship Master 'Ledum." He followed the voice and saw Keyes as well as the Master Chief in an alcove away from the hustle and bustle of the bridge. Vora placed his Combat Helmet on his head and approached the two Humans.

Captain Keyes was chewing on a pipe at one end of a short table and the Master Chief was standing at the other, clad in dark green MJOLNIR armor and clutching his helmet under one arm.

"Nice of you to join us. The Chief and I were going over his report of the mission and I wanted to hear a few things from you." Keyes pushed a data pad towards the Ship Master. He picked it up and quickly scanned the mission report. Many of the same nature having passed over his desk.

"What questions do you have, Captain?" Vora set the data pad down on the table and saw the Chief settle his weight to one foot out of the corner of his eye. It was the Master Chief who spoke up first.

"According to Jessie-057, you seemed prepared for her entrance to the bridge. Did you have prior knowledge of our mission?" The dark haired man turned to face him, dark eyes on his face.

"We had been monitoring Human communications for a while. When mention of your mission came about, we monitored it closely. Hoping it would be our opportunity to finally complete our leave of the Covenant and defect." Vora 'Ledum answered truthfully.

"How did you convince your officers to commit heresy with you?" Keyes questioned. Vora understood where he was coming from. The Captain did not want Elites running rampant on his ship and hailing the Covenant if they were not truly heretics.

"Curious thing relationships are. I have served many a year with most of my officers. It was a feeling that was mutual to most and eventually spread. I cannot give you a fixed reason to how it all happened. All I know is my officers are loyal to me and will not cause you or your ship any trouble." He offered. Keyes nibbled on the end of his pipe a moment longer, eyes traveling to the alien across the table from him.

"You asked for immunity and the chance to meet with Human officials," Keyes let the thought hang for a moment.

"That is correct."

"You have been granted full immunity as long as you are aboard the _**Pillar of Autumn**_. I cannot speak for any other ship at the moment, so this will be your new home for now. I'm sure you are familiar with life on a space fairing vessel, Ship Master."

"Quite."

"As for the human officials, I am still working on it. There are many of 'em and some want to see you and your officers as soon as they can. Others...well they'd much rather us dump you into whatever hole you came could be a while before I can get you a meaningful meeting." Keyes spread is hands a bit.

"I see. Thank you for working on it. As long as progress is being made, I will accept the time frame." The Ship Master settled his weight on the back of his hooves and grasped his hands behind his large back.

"I have also made a request of my own," The Master Chief spoke up. "I would like for you and some of your officers to join my team on our next mission." The Spartan looked from Vora to Captain Keyes.

"I am considering his proposition. If I did grant the Chief his wish, you and three of your officers would be allowed to work alongside our Spartan team in the battlefield. Would you be comfortable openly fighting and killing Covenant? Elites?" Keyes explained.

"If I pick the proper team, there should be no problem while in the field." Vora confirmed.

"I will let you know when I make my decision, Chief." Keyes said to the large Spartan. He nodded his head in a silent thanks. "I suggest in the mean time, that you make your choice officers aware of the situation."

"I will. Is that all you needed, Captain?" Vora took a small step back.

"Yes that is all, Ship Master. You are dismissed, Chief." Keyes waved the two warriors off as he returned to the busy bridge and resumed his previous job of commanding the organized chaos.

The Master Chief and Ship Master 'Ledum walked back over to the elevator . While they waited for the gunmetal grey doors to open, Vora asked the Spartan, "What spurred you to request a Sangheilian team?" He glanced at the man out of the corner of his orange-copper eye.

"Elites can fight. I want as many useful guns with me as I can. It would also be a test of sorts, how against the Covenant you are." The Chief moved his dark green helmet to his other hand.

"You do not have to fret over our loyalty. We will _never _return to the Covenant, we are not blind followers. I must make you aware that when our teams are working together that we are working _side-by-side_. My men and I will _not _be under _your _command." Vora warned.

"Right. I see it more as a joint operation than an extension of the men under my command." Chief agreed.

"Glad to see we are eye-to-eye on the matter." The grey doors of the elevator opened with a ding. The two warriors stepped in and went down many levels. When the doors opened again, the soldiers excused themselves and went their own ways.

_**PILLAR OF AUTUMN**_**-07:30 HOURS**

At this time, Vora had selected the three officers he had selected for the possible Sangheili Strike Team. He looked from one Sangheili to another. Before him stood Niro 'Reshin, a Sangheili Major, Janu 'Tellon, his Special Operations Officer, and S'rin 'Cadeon, a Stealth Sangheili.

All three were gifted warriors and loyal troops. He was also sure they would enjoy the opportunity to work _with _the Demons rather than _against_ them. S'rin had suffered a nasty injury at the hands of a Demon, the exact reason he was confined to the bridge. So he could recover.

Vora watched as the Chief walked over to the small group of Elites.

"You wanted to see who I picked," Vora motioned towards the three Elites. The Chief looked the three over before nodding his head, brown eyes looking the Sangheili up and down.

Vora pointed to the Elite on the far left, "Niro 'Reshin. He is my youngest officer, but is accomplished enough to hold the rank of Major." He then pointed to the middle, "Janu 'Tellon, my oldest officer, senior even to myself, and a talented Spec Ops Officer." His finger then fell to the soldier on the right, "And this is S'rin 'Cadeon, one of my Stealth Sangheili. He is still recovering from an injury, but it should not effect him while in battle." Vora finished the simple introductions.

The three officer tilted their heads and necks in a greeting towards the Spartan.

"Nice to meet you. I am John-117, Master Chief Petty Officer. My troops are currently occupied, but I am sure you will be able to meet them sometime soon." John introduced himself. He then excused himself from the hanger as he was comm'd over the PA system in the starship.

"You are dismissed. But keep an eye out for the other four Spartans. You may be working alongside them very soon, get to know them." Vora adjusted his gold helmet so he could scratch his forehead then left as his three officers exited the hanger.

_**PILLAR OF AUTUMN**_**-12:00 HOURS**

Niro, Janu, and S'rin entered the rec room. There were a few Marines using some of the exercise machines around the room, but their attention was pulled to the larger humans occupying the sparring ring near the center of the floor.

The two female Spartans were in the ring and the two male Spartans were off to the side, occasionally shouting words of instruction and goading the two on. It looked like the blonde female was instructing the women with pink hair in the art of close quarters combat. Talking to her and making motions with her arms before punching her.

Niro walked over followed by Janu and S'rin. They came to a stop near the males, who looked at them and greeted them.

"You must be the Elites in the squad we may be teamed up with." Fred said.

"Yes." S'rin responded, his voice gravelly and foreign to English.

"Fred-104," he pointed to himself. "And Will-043." He pointed to the man next to him.

"Niro 'Reshin, Janu 'Tellon, and S'rin Cadeon." Janu motioned to the three of them. The males then proceeded to shake hands to the best of their abilities. Fred then turned to the ring.

"That's Jessie-057 and Tiffany-126." Janu watched as Jessie showed Tiffany how to block her face, and then punched the woman in the stomach when she did not react fast enough.

"Does she not know hand-to-hand combat?" Janu questioned, looking at Tiffany.

"No, not much. That's why we've got Jessie showing her the basics." Will said.

"Ah. Do you mind if I help? I'm Spec Ops. Han-to-hand is a must." Janu offered, feeling generous instead of his usual gruff, grouch old Sangheili attitude.

"Go right ahead." Will lifted the ropes so the large alien could climb through. "Hey, Jessie! Janu here wants to help teach Tiffany! Spec Ops! Maybe you could get some pointers from him!" Will called out to the woman in the ring.

"Right." She motioned for Janu to come over to her. She recognized the dark grey, wrinkled face of the elderly Sangheili who had spoken up in the bridge during their time on the _**Triumphant Declaration**_. Someone on the ship must have found something to serve as fatigues for the large Elites because he was in loose fitting clothes that somewhat resembled her own out of armor clothes.

"There is no way in hell I'm fighting that monster!" Tiffany squeaked, taking a step back from Jessie and the oncoming Elite.

"You're not. I am." Jessie turned to face Janu and saw he had a questioning eyebrow ridge raised. "We will show you moves and instruct you on how to properly execute them. Then I will reciprocate it with you." This drew Tiffany near again.

"You are working with basics, are you not?" Janu asked to clarify.

"Yes, basics. How to block, basic punch styles, some kicks, and how to move from one position to another. Mostly defense." Jessie gave him a quick rundown.

"Easy enough. I'm ready when you are." Janu cracked his knuckles and moved into an easy beginners pose.

"Watch closely, Tiffany. We will do this slowly, then as fast as an attacker would move." Jessie crouched a bit and eyed Janu's pose. His hands were clenched in fists and his arms were brought up in front of him, successfully guarding his neck and chest. Legs bent forward a bit and his weight evenly distributed through his low crouch.

Jessie slowly punched down at his gut and Janu slid one of his hand down to block the punch. She then shifted her weight and kicked up with one leg towards the opening he left by his head. Janu casually brought his other arm across his body and her leg connected with his forearm. She swung her other arm, but it was blocked by Janu's other fist coming to rest near her chin. They released each other and turned to Tiffany.

"Now watch closely, watch how we mesh the moves together." Jessie turned back to Janu and they began. Jess' hand shot to his gut and was instantly met by his block, as soon as her punch didn't land, her foot was flying towards his head. She felt his forearm connect with her shin, but his wrist rolled and grasped her ankle and pulled her leg down, her body was thrown of balance and she twisted at the waist, meeting Janu's fist at her jaw. He paused before it connected and looked to the woman with pink hair, releasing Jessie.

"Your opponent will never use the same move twice either." He instructed.

"I did not expect his next move, so I could not compensate for it. You must be one step ahead of your opponent." Jessie said.

Tiffany attempted to duplicate Janu's starting pose as Jessie moved on her. She barely blocked the punch, but the kick connected with her shoulder. Sending her sprawling on the mat. Jess straightened up and waited for Tiffany to stand back up.

"Again." instructed Jess. Janu tilted his head as he watched the woman beat the other down again. Another command leaving her mouth.

"Demon." said Janu. Jessie peaked over her shoulder at him, Tiffany on the ground once again.

"Yes?"

"Have you ever fought a true hand-to-hand specialist before?" He questioned.

"I've had some good opponents, but not a certified specialist." She shrugged one shoulder.

"You should challenge me." He said, mandibles flicking.

"I'm in the middle of something."

"Your student has had enough of a beating for one day." He had trained many Sangheili in his time and knew just how much one could take before the results stopped coming. He motioned for her to come closer.

"Are you sure you should be picking a fight with a human, Janu? We just got here." S'rin warned.

"I'm not picking a fight. Merely training with a Demon." His green gaze watched Tiffany exit the ring before he moved to the center of the ring with Jess.

They both lowered themselves into their favorite stances and began their dance.

Janu had his neck lowered and moved around Jessie. They circled each other, then Jess made the first move. She moved forward and punched at his exposed neck. She almost hit her mark, when she was pushed back into defending herself.

Janu threw his fist towards her head, then quickly changed direction and aimed for her torso, forcing her to change defensive postures quickly.

A few hoots and hollers sounded from the Marines who abandoned their workout routines to watch the Spartan and Elite spar.

She countered his attack on her torso and kicked at his hip. Janu emitted a small grunt as her boot hit his unarmored side. He then swept his hoof under her foot, the one still on the mat, as her other was still returning from his hip. He knocked her foot out from under her and she hit the mat. Quickly recovering and rolling over her shoulder and jumping back to her feet before he could bring a fist down on her back.

A glint of gold from the small crowd indicated Vora's presence.

Blowing her hair out of her eyes, Jess circled Janu once. He kicked at her with his large leg. She ducked, just barely and twisted on her heel, her fist landing on his middle back. Janu changed his direction of movement and swung back towards Jessie, his forearm catching her in the stomach.

She clenched her teeth and grabbed at his arm. She caught his large wrist and yanked it, throwing his off balance. As his momentum came towards her, she threw up her arms to block a punch.

Janu tucked and rolled, then came back to standing on his hooves. Seeing a familiar move coming his way, he prepared to block a kick to his head, but is dropped at the last moment and connected with his knee. He bright his other leg up and caught her in the side, pushing her out of arms reach. They both rushed forward and came to rest with their fists resting before the others jaw. A stalemate. Warm breath leaving them both, panting after the exertion.

"You are a worthy opponent, Demon." Janu dropped his fist and stood up to his full height.

"It's Jessie, not Demon." She corrected with a small smile tugging at her lips.

"Janu 'Tellon." He said. Janu ran one of his hands over his leathery brow and climbed off the mat as he followed Jess.

"Damn! I thought it was never going to end." Will exclaimed. Fred chuckled as he saw some bummed Marines leave the sparring ring, obviously on the loosing side of a bet.

"Spec Ops, you said?" questioned Fred.

"Yes. A career that is probably longer than you've been alive." Janu commented.

S'rin came to stand next to Janu, slapping a friendly hand on his shoulder.

"You've still got it in you, you old man." He chidded.

"Did you think I'd lost my touch, S'rin?" Janu spun around and caught the other Elite's wrist in a tight grip.

"No, I just like pissing you off time to time." S'rin chuckled.

"One of you has to show me that sometime." Niro commented.

"I'm through teaching Sangheili, I've had plenty of pupils in my time." Janu shook his head.

"An impressive display of skill, the both of you." Vora observed, cradling his gold Combat Helmet in his hand.

"Thank you." Jess said with a small grin. Janu just puffed his chest up a bit.

"If that is what you are trying to get me to do, forget it." Tiffany said. Her words sounding final.

"It is better to learn here in a ring than on a battlefield." Chief said, having arrived just in time to see the end of the spar before he started his exercising ritual.

"Well, I guess I learned from just watching them, too." Tiffany crossed her arms.

"I have a feeling that the joint team will work out very well if your Captain grants you permission." Vora commented to John.

"Yes, yes it will." He turned and headed to the treadmills on the other side of the room. Will and Fred excused themselves and left the room. Niro and S'rin climbed into the sparring ring and Tiffany moved off to another machine. Janu left to go clean himself off. Vora and Jess were the last two standing beside the ring.

Jess turned to watch Niro and S'rin engage in a more common form of close quarters fight. It looked different than the Spec Ops hand-to-hand combat Janu said he excelled in.

"I'm surprised Janu challenged you." Vora came to stand next to Jess, gold armor glinting as he watched Niro and S'rin.

"Why?"

"He is a proud warrior. He would not willingly ask a human to test his prowess in combat."

"I'm a Spartan. He may not view me as _just human_." She offered.

"Whatever his reason is, you were very lucky. Few get to spar with a Spec Ops Officer. Special Operations tend to keep their fighting techniques among themselves. Only fighting fellow Spec Ops for practice and not other soldiers." explained Vora.

"I did not know it was such a big deal." Jess cringed a bit as S'rin took a particularly strong hit from Niro to his long neck.

"You put up a good fight. I myself may wish to challenge you one of these days." He peered over at Jess.

"Ah-thanks. A Ship Master challenging a Spartan? A commander fighting a soldier?" She gave a light chuckle.

"It does not matter who I spar with. Just their ability. Your ability has caught my attention." Vora's gaze hardened a bit at her comment.

"I pride myself in being a well rounded soldier." Jess rubbed the back of her neck.

A small bark pulled their attention from the conversation as S'rin pinned Niro to the mat and the young Sangheili kick out, trying to free himself.

"S'rin, don't embarrass the youngster anymore. Let him up." Vora said good-naturedly. S'rin stood up and Niro quickly regained his footing.

Jess and Vora fell into a quiet silence, watching the two warriors pound each other in training.

"Is this the comfortable silence you mentioned last night?" Vora said quietly.

"Yes." She looked over to Vora as she pulled her hair into a short ponytail, seeing him watching her. "What?"

"Nothing." He adverted his gaze and focused on the ring.

"I need to go get cleaned up. I will see you later?" Jess watched Vora pick up his helmet and make to leave too.

"I'll go with you."

"Uh, sure."

The pair exited the rec room and walked a few paces before they picked up a few followers. As the halls cleared a bit the deeper they went into the starship, their followers finally moved up.

"Do I need to tell you how damn annoying you and your little buddies are?" Jess sighed and said to Logan. How many times was he and his squad going to try and ambush her in the hall! At least this time she had a 8' 7" tall alien with her.

"I owe you. Remember what happened last time? I want to return the favor." Logan stood in front of Jessie and his squad stopped at odd intervals around Vora and the Spartan.

Hearing the malice in the ODSTs voice, Vora straightened up to his full height, neck muscles tightening. He took a step closer to Jessie.

"Except, it seems you have a little alien buddy with you." Logan glared at the gold armored Elite.

"Leave." Was Vora's cold warning.

"Or what? My fights with her, not you. And I'm pretty sure the Captain would not appreciate you attacking his soldiers." Logan responded mockingly. Vora growled lowly, a deep rumble that would have sent any human running for cover. He arched his neck and looked directly at the man.

Logan looked startled for a moment, but recovered. "You don't scare me."

Vora flared his mandibles, his sharp teeth easily visible, growl increasing in strength. "You should be scared." His fingers dug into the helmet in his grasp.

"I'm rather tempted to let him rip you apart," Jessie pointed back to Vora." But it won't happen. I suggest you get out of here before I change my mind." Jessie spat. The other Helljumpers looked like they wanted to run crying to their mommies, Vora's display of height, muscle, teeth, and growling scaring them shitless.

"L-let's go." One Helljumper mumbled. Vora turned his attention to that man, snarling in his direction.

"Cowards!" Logan shouted as his squad fled down the hall. One more look at Vora and Jessie, and he too got away from them. "This is not over!"

Vora's growl quieted, but it still rumbled in his throat.

"Easy." Jessie turned to face Vora. "You sure got worked up." She patted his arm gently. Effectively killing his growl.

"I do not tolerate such behavior between comrades." He said, voice still holding a cold edge and his eyes still glaring.

"ODSTs and Spartans don't get along. We have a fragile relationship. I messed with Logan one to many times and he is out for revenge. Just ignore him." She told Vora. He didn't look convinced.

"What was that man planning on doing?"

"He and his squad would have tried to gang up on me and beat me. I kicked his ass pretty good a while ago and it bruised his ego." Vora dipped his head into her vision.

"He was on the mission with your team. He led the squad of humans we captured before your arrival." She could feel his warm breath ghost over her chin and neck, if she were to nod her head, she would smack her forehead into his mandibles; her personal space having been invaded by him a while ago.

"Yes. He was the loud mouth who objected before the Brute attack." Vora bobbed his head a few times, looking thoughtful. He pulled away slightly, giving Jessie room to breath again.

"Will you tell me if something like this happens again?" He put is face in hers again, mandible twitching.

"Uh-I guess?" Jess raised one eyebrow. What was with him? He let out a huff of air, it ruffled the loose hair around her face. His eyes traveled her face for a moment before he stepped back and straightened up.

Jessie cringed a bit as the wound on her torso spasmed and disturbed the bruising and tender lesion. Vora noticed her cringe.

"Did you get your injury looked at?" He almost sounded like he was scolding a child. She gave his a stern glare and answered.

"No. It is nothing serious. I just aggravated it when I sparred. It is a small enough injury the medics would turn me away, regardless." Jessie pulled her shirt so it was not resting on top of the wound. He studied her for a moment before making his decision.

"Come with me."

"Wha-"

"Just come with me." She rolled her eyes and followed the alien.

_**PILLAR OF AUTUMN**_**-14:00 HOURS**

Vora 'Ledum came to a stop outside his door. Jessie stopped near him a few seconds later. He opened the door and motioned for her to sit on the bed. She sat on the neatly made bed and her eyes followed his as he retrieved a small pack of things off the sink rim.

"Lay back and lift your shirt." He instructed.

"It doesn't need to be treated. Like I said before, it is nothing."

"Don't argue. Do as I say." He ordered. With a annoyed sigh, she pursed her lips and laid back on the bed, lifting her shirt to reveal her injury.

Vora set his helmet on the desk, removed his gauntlets and body glove up to his elbows and grabbed the back of medicines.

He settled himself on the bed next to Jessie. He looked at her torso. Her ribcage was one large bruise, shades of green, blue and purple. The lesion was an enflamed red and oozing a little new blood after being disturbed earlier that day.

"It is not something to ignore, either." Vora pulled some gauze out of the small pack on his lap and gently pressed it onto the wound, soaking up the new blood.

He pulled out some disinfectant out of the pack next and dabbed a bit on two of his fingers.

"Remember what I told you last night...?" She warned.

"I will take my chances. Stay calm and you'll be fine." He soothed.

Vora tenderly rubbed his fingers over the enflamed lesion, massaging the disinfectant into the wound. He could see her getting ready to jerk away, but he quietly hushed her and lifted some of the pressure from her.

Jessie focused on breathing. She could feel his fingers as they worked the ointment into the injury. His touch was soft and gentle for such a powerful warrior. She could feel the warm, leathery texture of his hands. So _foreign _ yet so _comforting_. She blinked a few times and quickly pushed that thought from her head. She shouldn't be thinking like _that_. She heard him quietly try and calm her, and she released the sheets from her death grip. His thigh extremely close to were she was gripping the sheets.

When his hand drew away, she looked over at him. He had another piece of gauze and tapped it down over the lesion. He set the pack down on the floor.

A sharp knock on the door made the Ship Master jump, his hands moving to the pillow to steady himself.

"'Ledum?" One of the officers said from the other side of the door.

"What is-" Vora voice was low and husky. He quickly cleared his throat, his voice returning to its normal level. "What is it?"

"Have you seen the Demon Janu sparred with earlier? He wishes to speak with her and can't find her."

Jessie watched the Ship Master. When he was startled by the knock on the door, he had braced his hands on the pillow. He was now sitting next to her, legs of the side of the bed, body angled over hers, his arms braced on the pillow on either side of her head, and his neck and head was angled towards the door.

He paused for a moment, "No. I have not seen her recently. Tell Janu to keep looking." He stayed perfectly still until the officer's steps faded down the hall.

"You just lied to your officer!" She whispered.

"I am aware of that." He grumbled. Vora took one deep breath then another.

"I should probably go find Janu."

"No. I'm not done with you yet." He was extremely aware of their position right then. He could feel her, smell her, see her. No one had ever made him feel this way before. Her scent suddenly getting heavy in his nose. When he had touched her, her skin had been smooth and pliable under his strong fingers.

He swung his head down to look at Jessie. Her lips were parted a bit and her breathing was a little heavy. Her eyes searched his as his searched hers. His lower mandibles flared out then in.

_"Spartans, report to the bridge immediately."_ A voice over the PA system said.

"That's my cue." She said quietly. Vora grunted and his hand momentarily brushed across her shoulders as he sat up. He stood and offered Jessie his hand. She looked at it, then grasped it lightly, letting the larger Elite puller her to her feet. She yanked her shirt down and turned back to 'Ledum. "I will see you later." Vora only nodded. He dare not speak if his voice would be a low and husky as it previously had been, betraying his condition and the effect she was unknowingly having on him.

When the door closed behind Jess, Vora let out the breath he had been holding the collapsed on the bed. He could lightly smell her on his pillow. He rolled his head to the side so it was flush with the pillow, opened his mandibles some and breathed in. He then rolled onto his back and rubbed his temples. He had only meant to help her tend to her injury.

**I sort of imagined Vora as the Arbiter from Halo Wars when I wrote the little stand off. Temperamental and intimidating. Yeah, I threw in those awkward situations, hehe. I felt **_**really**_** nervous about uploading this chapter because of the deeper Jess and Vora interaction at the end. I don't want any unhappy readers! Leave a review on your way out, please!**

**PS: I think I will pause with the new updates for a bit and go back and do my overhaul edits on chap. 1-9, so look for changes there soon!**

**-Masterful-Mind**


	14. Triumphant Declaration

_A Spartan's War_

A/N: Quick question: Should I make the crew of the Triumphant Declaration heretics too for simplicity of the story, to keep the plot moving? I was unsure whether to go with: heretic crew, partial heretic crew, mutiny due to Covenant loyalty, or ship run with minimum number of people - Sangheili and offered human help? Please send me a PM with your thoughts or a review! Thanks :)

WOW! 6,620 hits on my story so far! You guys are awesome! Thanks so much for reading and sticking with me!

_**A huge thank you to the people who reviewed chapter 13: LNMHYLIAN, Civilised Savage your reviews were awesome! Got a rant out of me in response :)**_

**Chapter 14: **_**Triumphant Declaration**_

_**PILLAR OF AUTUMN**_**- 16:00 HOURS**

Captain Keyes paced fitfully in the conference room in the _**Pillar of Autumn**_. So much had happened in the past few days, he was beginning to feel a little overwhelmed. He paused just long enough to pick his old pipe off the long table and stick the end between his teeth before resuming his pacing, mind returning to his thoughts.

The _**Pillar of Autumn**_ was still moving around the planet where they had met with Blue Team and the _**Triumphant Declaration**_. Keyes had put a lot of time and thought into his decision. The assault carrier would be a valuable asses with the _**Autumn**_. He realized that the huge carrier would be short many hands needed to keep the starship in working condition. Keyes was willing to transfer a few engineers and technicians to the alien starship and he was sure the Ship Master could convince some of the troops loyal to the Covenant to return to the ship to fight and work under his name. If convincing didn't work, he was pretty sure the commander could _scare_ his troops back into service. Some may take up the opportunity to escape the brig and humility that went along with it. Keyes knew the Elite's had very strict honor values that were upheld.

The crew of the alien vessel was being held there by Marines. The ship was still on lock down and it was being watched _very very very_ carefully. The sheer size of the frigate just a hint at how _many_ troops could be houses within, heavy Human guns constantly pointed at it. If the Ship Master had problems with any of them, then they could be transferred to the brig on the Human starship or the alien vessel.

He had also reached his conclusion on the joint team of Spartans and Elites. After many meetings with the Ship Master and selected team, he had confidence in the Zealot to lead his men and the fighting capabilities of the three. The Spartans were the ones to discover the heretics and request their presence on the _**Autumn**_. He would not have to worry about problems there. What a formidable team him and 'Ledum would command. Keyes also observed that the Elites had dropped the 'ee suffix of their surnames. Signifying their separation from the Covenant. They were no longer allied with that military, or their customs.

He was also concerned about the Prophet. His men had not had much luck with the leader. Most of the information they had gathered from him had been from the Elites. Product of their rather effective methods of _persuasion_. He may have to ask the Ship Master to take a whack at the Prophet or throw a Spartan in with the thing.

A young Marine tapped on the conference room door then let himself in.

"The Elites and Spartans are here as you requested, sir." The young man reported.

"Good. Show them in, Private." The Privet saluted then exited the room. He soon returned followed by the two teams.

The soldiers sat at the table, sitting Spartan, Elite, Spartan. The team leaders stayed standing at the end of the table, facing the pacing Captain. The gold-clad Zealot's eyes traced the pacing man back and forth while the Chief kept his eyes on the far wall, waiting for Keyes to address them.

Captain Keyes halted his pacing, gripped his pipe, and got right to the point.

"I have made my decision. An Elite team will serve alongside the Spartan team. Do not make me regret my choice." He looked from the Ship Master to the Spartan-II.

"Thank you, sir." Chief looked to the Captain.

"This is a substantial opportunity. We will use it wisely." The Zealot dipped his head, his non-verbal response carrying just as much meaning as the words he spoke. That was another thing Keyes had observed during the time he had shared his vessel with the aliens. They had a tendency to communicate effectively through non-verbal physical movements. The slightest movement of their large, graceful necks or a grunt or growl could relay more meaning than any words they could come up with. Body language held an important standard in the Sangheili culture.

Keyes gaze passed over the men and women sitting before him. They seem satisfied at his decision and comfortable in the presence of each other.

"I also have a...a request of sorts for you, Ship Master," Keyes tried to form the right words to convey his idea. "I would like for you to command your vessel again. Your ship is welcome to fly alongside the _**Autumn**_. Create a joint naval team as we have done with our soldiers." Keyes relinquished control of the vessel back to its' original commander and let the idea hang between them.

Vora 'Ledum's mandibles clicked lazily as he thought over the proposition. It was _extremely _tempting. He had grown close to the _**Triumphant Declaration**_ during his long years as its' commander. As the Human saying went, he was willing to 'go down with his ship'. But there were also complications. He had not reported in days. His and his ship's absences would be noticed and looked into. If he reported he would have to come up with a convincing lie and discourage his superiors from speaking with the Hierarch; as the San 'Shyuum was no longer under his control. On the flip side, he could report and announce his succession from the Covenant. If he formally left, both the _**Triumphant Declaration **_and the _**Pillar of Autumn **_would become targets for attack and assassination missions. The Covenant would never allow him to live, or ally himself and his vessel with the Humans. He could also continue his silence and cut off all his communication with the Covenant; make them search for hell with the consequences. He was sure he could handle whatever was thrown his way, and if he needed any help, the _**Autumn**_ and her crew were on his side.

"I will join you and the _**Pillar of Autumn**_. I have a few concerns. I have not reported in many days and the Covenant will begin to look into my disappearance. If a Ship Master goes missing, that means there is a ship loose somewhere and that will not be tolerated. A missing Hierarch dictated quick and decisive action. My second concern is about my crew. They are loyal to the Covenant. It will be difficult to convince them to accept the change in circumstances. I may be spending more time keeping mutiny and sabotage at a minimum than aiding you." Vora narrowed his eyes in thought.

"I am willing to relieve some engineers and technicians to your vessel to help keep it flying. You must be able to ensure their safety for them to leave this ship. As for the troops on board, I will leave them in your hands. They were originally under your command and they will stay that way. Their fates lie in your hands. I recommend you keep your silence. I don't want to deal with a bunch of Covenant skirmishes, them trying to get to you." Keyes put his pipe back into his mouth and continued his constant nibbling.

The Zealot-class Ship Master closed his eyes momentarily and nodded his head, "I am ready to depart whenever you can have a dropship ready."

"Ah, yes. That reminds me of one other thing. Dropships from both our vessels are allowed to board the other, making transferring between the two ships simple. I will hail you if a Pelican is coming and vice versa if you are sending or returning one of your own."

"That is agreeable."

"I will have a Pelican ready for you and your officers in thirty minutes."

"Good." Vora turned and left the room, followed closely by the Chief and their teams. He stopped outside the conference room doors and pulled John to the side.

"Since our teams will be working closely, there will be plenty of traffic between this vessel and mine. Do understand that many of my troops, especially the Sangheili under my command will not appreciate the presence of Demons on the ship. Keep confrontations to a minimum." Vora slipped into Ship Master mode.

"Right, I wouldn't want it any other way. I value my mens' lives as much you do yours, you just happen to have a ship full of them. How are you planning to tell your crew about their new positions with Humans? They are going to be much harder to appease than the Marines." John said.

"I know. I am their Ship Master and they will respect that. Anyone who wishes to challenge me may. I pity the fool who dare try and strike me down." His hand moved to gingerly rest on the Energy Sword hilt on his hip, upper lip curling and mandibles flaring.

"I will make sure anyone who wishes to visit your vessel is aware of what could happen." Chief and Vora turned and followed their teams down the hall.

_**PILLAR OF AUTUMN**_**-16:50 HOURS**

Vora and his officers stood in the hanger as the last preparations were being made to the Pelican that would take them ground side.

"Alright, we are ready to go." The pilot walked over to inform the Elites. They then climbed into the Pelican and secured themselves into the crash seats of the dropship.

The Pelican gracefully lifted off and exited the Human vessel, heading back towards the planet below and the ship that waited. The flight seemed longer than it was to the Elites, they were eager to return to the ship they had called home for years now.

Vora stepped out of the Pelican and craned his long neck to inspect the vessel before him. His ship looked no worse for wear than the condition he had left it a few days ago. This was going to be a test of his skills as a leader and Ship Master, a heretic leading a crew of Covenant.

_**TRIUMPHANT DECLARATION**_**-17:15 HOURS**

Vora let out a long sigh as he stood on the bridge. He felt at ease being on the _**Triumphant Declaration**_ at the moment. He had been on this ship for years. It had become his home away from home and it was nice to be back. And it was nice to be in command again, too.

At the moment, the crew and all his troops were assembled in the massive hangers of the vessel, waiting to hear what he had to say over the internal PA system the ship was equipped with. He tapped an icon on the holoscreen in front of his command chair and his voice spread to be heard through the massive ship.

"This is Ship Master Vora 'Ledum," He was sure they would catch the absence of the 'ee suffix on his surname. "I am sure you are aware of what has transpired as of late, my brothers. I am informing you that my officers and I have left the Covenant behind. We are no longer hindered by the lies of the Hierarchs. There is no Great Journey!" He was sure many of the troops were calling out 'heretics!' and 'blasphemy!' as they listened. "The _**Triumphant Declaration **_and its' occupants are still under my command. The same regulations stand as before. Anyone who wishes to challenge me may. I fear none of you and my sword will strike down any who attempt mutiny and wrest this vessel from my command. Duties will be carried out as usual, there will be no change in pace. This vessel will run a quickly and smoothly as before. I expect no less out of my crew. Return to how you were." Vora cut the communication.

He then tapped at the same screen a few more times until a link with the _**Pillar of Autumn**_ was established.

Keyes watched as the massive 3 mile (17,540 ft.) long ship rose into space and drifted next to the _**Autumn**_. The behemoth alien technology dwarfed the Human vessel. Making it look embarrassingly small next to the sleek alien giant, a ship that just oozed power and authority, as well as awe.

As soon as the ship was back were it belonged, in space, and drifting smoothly next to the Human vessel, Vora established a link with the _**Pillar of Autumn**_.

"_**Pillar of Autumn, **_this is the assault carrier _**Triumphant Declaration." **_Vora waited for his response.

_"__**Triumphant Declaration, **__this is the __**Pillar of Autumn**__, we are sending you the Slipspace coordinates now."_

Vora waited for his navigations officer to confirm they had received the coordinated and they were properly entered into the system.

"Coordinates received."

_"See you on the other side."_ The link was disconnected. He watched as the assault carrier entered Slipspace, the coordinates had been tweaked just a bit to bring them out closer to the destination; Sangheili ships had more advanced, accurate Slipspace Drives that allowed for closer more precise jumps. Once the carrier was well on its way, Vora sat back in his chair for a moment, rubbing a weary hand over his face. He turned to his second in command. "Cover for me. I wish to retire for a bit. I shall be back in a few hours." The Sangheili made a fist with one hand and crossed the arm over his chest, bowing his neck.

"Ship Master." The Sangheili held his bowing position until Vora had risen from his seat, stepped down and moved towards the door. Vora could hear a few stern commands from the Sangheili as he walked into the sleek purple hallway, the change in light causing him to blink rapidly for a moment. The ship would be in good hands for a few hours.

As he walked towards his private quarters, he passed many Unggoy and Sangheili.

The smaller troops still jumped out of his way and hugged the walls, just as fearful of him as they had previously been.

Some of the Sangheili looked wary of him, others held the same calm looks as they did when he served the Covenant. Only two Sangheili acted out. One began growling at him, quickly silenced into submission by his louder, more feral retort. The other turned at him and began to throw his weight across the hall before rethinking the move and continuing down the hall.

Vora continued on the way to his private quarters, thinking. He passed Janu and received a small nod from the old Spec Ops Officer.

Entering his room, he sat down at his terminal and began to log all the events of the past few days. How his life had changed so quickly.

**Another Vora centric chapter! I love the Elites so much, I keep writing about them :) Sangheili are awesome and there is no denying it! The Spartans will be back in the next chapter, I will and make it mostly about them since I plan on using four chapters to tell the heresy backstory for each of the Sangheili I introduced. The backstories will be a sub plot and I may even do one for Jessie and one for Tiffany too so I have really deep, fleshed out OCs. Tell me what you think and leave a review!**

**-Masterful-Mind**


	15. Reflection

_A Spartan's War_

_**A big thanks to the person who reviewed chapter 14, it helps me get going on the following chapter: LNMHYLIAN**_

A/N: This chapter has a little look into the workings of Tiffany's mind. I am trying to reel her back from the pool of mary-sues. She is supposed to be a character you don't like, but I don't want to achieve that through mary-sueness. Leave a review when you finish reading!

**Chapter 15: Reflection**

_**PILLAR OF AUTUMN**__-_**19:45 HOURS**

Tiffany sat quietly at one of the many tables in the mess hall. She lazily drug her fork through the meal on her tray. She had slowly grown accustomed to what the military called food. She missed her life back on Earth. She missed the life, the freedom, the food. Hell, she missed the small things in life right now. Had her life gone the way every little girl dreamed, she would be on her own at this age, making her way in the world. Leaving her own little mark upon the vastness of humanity.

Instead she was stuck in the middle of a war with psychotic aliens as a half-rate soldier. She was a Spartan, she knew they heightened moral at home and on the frontlines. What she didn't get was why _she _had to be a super-soldier. Is sure wasn't _super_. The last mission had left her quaking in her boots. She was about ready to proclaim herself a pacifist after all this ended.

She was young when she was shipped off to the Spartan-II Program. Young enough not to know about the under the table dealings, the reason this was happening to her, all the finer points that were arranged that changed her future forever. Young and naive. What she would give to not have a care in the world!

Her parents were millionaires back on Earth. Wealthy entrepreneurs who were raking in successes bounties. Tiffany had loved her life then. She had it all. Big house, money, loving parents, good friends, status at school. Everything a girl dreamed of having.

Now she was shooting aliens for a living. She could never understand the thrill of the fight or the meaning of war. She had overheard Jessie telling Fred of an impressive combat knife kill she had while on the carrier and _rush_ she got from it. Tiffany had cringed at the grisly details and didn't understand what the woman got from it.

Jessie. Another problem of hers.

She placed her chin in her cupped hand and rested her elbow on the cold steel table, still chasing the sad excuse for food around the tray.

Tiffany couldn't put her finger on the exact moment she began disliking the other Spartan, she just did. Like that one girl from school. The two didn't get off on the right foot and things were always delicate between them. Except this woman could do a lot more than call her mean names.

Fear? Jealousy? What fueled her mistrust of Jessie? She sure wasn't jealous of her. She wasn't pretty by her standards, she was a freaking giant, tall and muscular, she didn't have many social graces, and she couldn't let anybody set a finger on her.

Maybe it was the way she sucked all the attention to her during an 'episode'. She hated self-centered people. They were on a male team and the other girl was using that to her advantage. Tiffany rolled her eyes. In her opinion, she was a much more suitable candidate for their attention.

Jessie also acted perfectly normal around the fucking massive aliens that had joined them in their quest. It was bad enough she held a conversation with one, she _sparred_ with one. _Touched _it. The time on the bridge of the alien ship was one of the scariest moments of her life. The massive beings so near to her. The one with the gold armor always conversing with the Spartans. During the travels Blue Team had slept or cleaned weapons or something to pass the time to the RV point. She sat ramrod straight trying not to scream when one would look up from its console and eye the team of Spartans. She knew she wouldn't stand a chance if one tried attacking her. Her point proven when the damn ape came at her.

She had never been so afraid in her entire life.

Tiffany shivered at the memory and tucked a stray lock of pink hair behind her ear.

It has giant! And is had a massive hammer that it gripped with fond familiarity. When it had roared, it opened its mouth to reveal nasty sharp teeth and spittle had flew from its foamed mouth. She had been rooted to the spot in terror, never hearing Jessie's screams telling her to move.

She'd give the woman that. She had saver Tiffany's life. Thrusting her out of the way and being smashed against the wall by the powerful hammer blow.

Tiffany had self defense training, but it on the minimal side and she didn't have the mind set or want to utilize it. She had trained with an assault rifle on stationary targets, used many a frag grenade and become familiar enough with a pistol she could assemble and disassemble one blindfolded. She didn't know any hand-to-hand combat, so Fred and Will recommended going to Jessie for some training. Then the freakishly big, strange looking alien had joined in.

The sparring between Jessie and the Elite had been painful looking to her. But when John had come into the room, proudly watching his soldier equally face an Elite, she had wished it was her in Jessie's place.

She admired the Chief. More than the typical soldier would respect their squad they had first met, he was real receptive towards her. Then Jessie had a few extreme episodes and tore the man away from her. That was probably at the core of her distaste for the woman. John was a catch and she had her eyes on him.

Jessie also seemed easy enough to piss off. She'd taken advantage of that many times and planned to do so more in the future. The strong woman was so weak if Tiffany could make her so intolerable and make her temper flare.

Tiffany smirked at that.

_**PILLAR OF AUTUMN**_**-19:45 HOURS**

John glanced at the clock imbedded in the wall for the sixth time in 15 minutes. He was restless and wanted to get out of the room. The warship was due to exit Slipspace in half an hour. That meant 30 more minutes of the long briefing he was currently sitting in on. He was a guest, just listening, as Marine Majors and squad leaders made reports to Keyes and discussed the collection of intel. The only interesting thing he had heard in the past two hours was about the leeway one of the Elites had made with the Prophet before they left the ship.

Since then he'd heard nothing that peeked his interest or required his intervention of the report, asking for his own copy to analyze later.

He was anxious to get out of Slipspace. He preferred his feet on the ground, but normal space was better than Slipspace. Made him feel refined, constricted. He didn't like that.

He was also curious as to the well fare of the Elite assault carrier. If the entire ship revolted against the proclaimed heretics, they would stand no chance. The troops would then turn the carrier's firepower on the Human vessel. John hated space warfare. He couldn't do anything and that made him jumpy.

He glanced to his left and looked at his second in command. Fred was hunched over a bit in his seat and was scribbling madly on a tablet with a silver stylus. Seemed he was getting more out of this sit in than he was. Letting out an angry huff of air, John turned his attention back to Keyes and the Major he was reviewing an intel report with.

Hearing John's lengthy sigh, Fred looked up from his work.

"I told you I would be fine doing this on my own. I know how much you do not like these." Fred scolded in a soft tone.

"It is either this or filling reports of my own." John glanced at the clock again.

"Staring at the clock will not make time pass faster, John. You should go to the gym, you seem restless." Fred quickly scribbled another note on the pad.

"It will be over soon enough. Besides, I have my own meeting with the Captain when we exit Slipspace." John replied.

Fred nodded his head silently and returned to quickly jotting down note on the tablet he held on his lap.

_**TRIUMPHANT DECLARATION**_**-20:15 HOURS**

The _**Pillar of Autumn **_silently slid out of Slipspcae. The _**Triumphant Declaration **_exited Slipspace a bit farther away, leaving its more precise jump.

Vora felt his ship exit Slipspace. It was about time he returned to his duties as the commander of the vessel. He stood and paced over to the special case that held his armor. He began putting it on, taking his time in carefully latching each piece and adjusting certain parts so they rested comfortably against his body.

As he entered the command center, his second in command turned to him.

"We have just been hailed by the Human vessel." The Sangheili then proceeded to move himself back to his terminal, relinquishing command of the carrier back to the Ship Master.

The holotank in the middle of the room, displaying the system they were in and the location, ID, and classification of the two vessels, changed to show a hologram of Captain Keyes.

_"Ship Master, a Pelican is en route to your vessel. Blue Team wished to speak with you and your team."_

"Have them dock in the main hanger. I will have someone meet them." He watched as Keyes' hologram turned and addressed someone he could not see.

_"Blue Team should arrive in five minutes."_ The connection was dropped the the hologram display of the system and two ships returned to the holotank.

_**TRIUMPHANT DECLARATION**_**-20:20 HOURS**

Vora crossed his arms and continued his wait in the briefing room. S'rin lounged in one of the chairs, looking uncharacteristically tired and Janu tinkered with something on the inside of his helmet. Niro had been sent to retrieve the Spartans from the hanger, without any complications, he hoped.

Niro soon entered the room followed by the five armor-clad Spartans that created Blue Team. Vora motioned for the six new comers to take a seat around the large alien table, a giant holotank for briefing large numbers of troops at one time.

"What brought you here at such an hour?" Vora settled himself into one of the chairs, resting his elbows on the armrests and steepling his fingers in front of his jaw and mandibles.

"We wanted to know if a Spartan presence on your ship would help deter any possible attacks or commandeering of the vessel." John proposed.

"We are few in number compared to the number of soldier on this vessel. Do you feel we cannot protect ourselves?" Vora paused for a moment, not seeking an answer for his question. He asked it to mainly make the Spartan rethink the away he addressed his proposition. "Not a permanent presence, but a Spartan or more here at some point may help any of my men from committing an act they would regret."

"I will leave Jessie." John turned to the woman, silently seeking her approval of his decision. Her eyes flitted around the room before returning her blue gaze to his brown.

"I will stay."

"Is that all you needed, Master Chief?" Vora questioned. He was tired and if this continued much longer he was going to start getting irritable.

"Yes, that is all. We will be heading back to the _**Autumn**_." John then looked pointedly at Jessie. "Take care of yourself. I want to hear from you at 0800 tomorrow."

"Yes, sir." She dutifully responded. The Spartan team filled out, tailed by Niro so he could show them back to the hanger.

Jess turned back to the room and spied S'rin. His head flopped forward a bit, mandibles slack, and neck dropped at an odd angle.

Janu followed her gaze. His eyes widened and he jumped to his feet, thumping over to the Sangheili. He brought his fist down on S'rin's stomach, "Wake up, you sad excuse for a!" He called S'rin a name in his native language, Jess couldn't even guess as to what he said, but she got the drift he was cursing at the sleeping Elite.

S'rin threw his hands up in a defensive posture, palms facing outwards, sleep still fading from his eyes.

"Sorry! Calm down, Janu." S'rin then looked to Vora. His Ship Master looked more amused than upset at the soldier.

"Make sure that never happens again, 'Cadeon." Vora scolded before waving him away, letting S'rin know he was free to go to his quarters. He eagerly got up from his seat and left. "Janu, you may go as well, I will let you know when I am in further need of you."

Janu stood, turned to Vora and bowed. Neck bent forward, hand clasped in a fist and crossed over his chest with a small thump before he turned and left as well.

'Ledum then turned his attention to the Spartan left on his warship. "I will show you to your quarters. I do not know how long your stay will be, but it should suffice." Vora stood.

"You have a warship to command, allow someone else to show me around." Jess stood as well, and tried to make her statement sound like a request to the authoritative Ship Master rather than a command.

"No, the bridge is in good hands. I will show you, I need a chance to rest myself." The Zealot led the way from the briefing room and into the sleek hallways of the giant starship.

Vora's neck dropped a bit as he thumped down the hall.

"You look tired." Jess observed. Vora straightened his neck and raised his head.

"Yes. The last few days have taken a toll on my body. I have not slept well either." Vora admitted, his voice sounding a little shamed at admitting his weakened state.

"Human vessels are not very comfortable to sleep on. Too much going on." Jess nodded her head in agreement. "I can see why you are tired."

Vora let out a small chuckle. "The _**Triumphant Declaration**_ is more my taste in space worthy ways to sleep." The pair passed no troops on the way to the unoccupied rooms.

"You do not let yourself get away from the bridge ver much, do you?" Jessie asked, her voice sounding confident in her observation.

"I do not. I have much responsibility as Ship Master and it requires my full attention and devotion."

"I guess you could see some of these joint missions as a break from your duty then." Jessie came to a halt as Vora stopped by a door.

"I will never be able to truly escape my duty." He commented.

Jess looked thoughtful for a moment, then ventured with a question.

"Tell me, what made you commit heresy." Vora opened the door and turned to the woman standing next to him. A small smile gracing his mandibles.

"That, Demon, is a story for another day." Jessie stepped into the room and turned to face Vora again.

"Not Demon. Jessie. Please call me Jessie. And remember, you owe me a story."

"That I do, Jessie." The woman tapped two of her fingers against the brow of her helmet in a casual Human salute before letting the door slide close. Vora turned and retreated back down the hall.

**I was going to make Fred the Spartan they left, but I ended up switching him out for Jess. It allowed for a situation that could work for a Vora fic. Vora: **_**her **_**on **_**his **_**ship. Not my best chapter. I will tell Vora's reason for becoming a heretic in the next chapter, then followed by the other three; making up the next four chapters. Please leave a review!**

**-Masterful-Mind**


	16. Indignation

_A Spartan's War_

_**Thank you to my lovely reviewers: Civilised Savage, LNMHYLIAN, Fruity Sangheili, and cew!**_

A/N: The chapter titles for 16-19 relate to the reason each Elite defected. Should I post my lengthy OC character page? It gives plenty of background info itself and might be fun to read. Please leave a review! Transformers 3 music equals good chapter! The music went along with the feel of the story.

**Chapter 16: Indignation**

_**HIGH CHARITY**_**-THREE YEARS PRIOR**

Ship Master Vora 'Ledumee let out an angry sigh. He gripped the railing tighter, leaning his weight forward and curling his neck. He should have felt sorrow, grief, unhappiness. No, he felt betrayed, upset, and downright _angry_.

He glared down at the traffic below the balcony he was standing on, another normal day aboard the space station _**High Charity**_; his day was far from normal. He gnashed his mandibles together and shook the images from his mind.

He could still see the clouded, cold stare of his eyes and the look of shock upon his face.

His brother was dead. Executed on the orders of the High Prophets. Duin 'Ledumee was no more.

Duin had been stripped of his name, rank, and honor before being killed. Death in battle was supposed to be an honorable way to leave this world. Death by execution was shameful and barred you from the Great Journey.

Vora closed his eyes. Of all the Sangheili, his brother deserved to follow the path of the Great Journey and achieve virtue. The Zealot looked up when he heard heavy footsteps come to a stop next to him.

"You are grieving, brother." Vora looked over at the Sangheili addressing him. The Ship Master stood erect and saved the last of his dignity from the angry, hunched position he had been in moments prior.

"Yes. My brother did not deserve to die." Vora was about to call his sibling 'Duin', but he had lost his name before his death.

"Careful with what you say, Ship Master. You are lucky his blasphemous acts only brought shame to him. Not your family and bloodline." The other Sangheili scolded Vora.

"I am in a time of mourning, my words and actions can be brash." The Sangheili paused and looked at the view presented by the balcony the two were standing on.

"He had a mate, did he not?" The Sangheili spoke, still looking out over the balcony.

Vora's mandibles gnashed again. His brother was married, it would bring a world of hurt to his family.

"Yes." Vora decided to reveal no more than what was asked.

Duin had a faithful, loving mate and she was carrying his second child. The first had just reached the age to enter the keep and begin his training. Vora remembered the day his younger sibling had told him his news.

Duin had come crashing into Vora's room, face flushed and a huge grin split his mandibles. Vora had asked what could have gotten him so worked up and he had learned that his mate was expecting. Duin was a proud father and he was elated to have sired a second child.

Now the second child would never know his father and the first would have to grow up with only a memory. And the responsibility to tell his mate of Duin's fate rested on Vora's shoulders.

How he regretted his new responsibility. He cared for the female, she was kind and motherly and the news would weight heavily on her and the unborn baby. She had been perfect match for his deceased brother, they were inseperable after they had wed and now a cruel turn of fate had torn them apart too early.

The Sangheili only nodded to his one word response. He then put a comforting hand on Vora's shoulder, giving it a light squeeze before walking off again.

Vora had been present for the trial, verdict, and execution. He never expected to see his younger sibling die in such a fashion. He had hoped Duin would honorable fall in battle or live to be an accomplished elder. Neither would happen now. Rather, he was publicly humiliated and killed.

The trial began as a summarization of the mission. The Fleet Master in charge of overseeing the main quest had given his long winded report. Then Duin 'Ledumee had been brought before the Hierarchs. As soon as they had learned of his failure, the accusations began.

Duin had been in charge of a ground team that had been tasked with the retrieval of a Forerunner artifact discovered on a Human planet.

The Humans fought against the Covenant and managed to destroy the Forerunner technology, and half of Duin's team along with it.

He had permitted the destruction of a Holy Relic by the hands of filthy Humans. Heresy in the Hierarchs eyes.

Vora had watched as the Hierarchs conferred and Councilors, Sangheili and San 'Shyuum alike had called out 'blasphemy!'

Duin 'Ledumee was then sentenced to public execution.

Vora knew he should have felt the punishment right for the crime, even if it was his only brother being sentenced to death. Yet, he felt the verdict was too harsh. At the time, he thought it was his sore hearts talking.

Vora had been near the front of the crowd due to his rank and relationship to the ex-warrior. He watched painfully as his brother had been dragged out in front of the gathered aliens, stripped of everything. His name, his rank, his honor, even his armor.

Duin tried to look brave as he was marked and prepared for death. He knew the consequences for him, his mate, his children, his brother, his family. He just hoped none of this would ripple far enough to cause them bodily harm for his actions.

Vora kept a straight face through it all. A stoic mask hiding the battle raging within his head and hearts. Duin's eyes met his moments before his death and Vora let the anguish he felt slide over his face, just for a moment, before he put on a brave face for his younger brother.

His eyes had been the worst part. Even in death they looked alive before fading. Becoming plain orange orbs. Cold, lifeless, cloudy, hurt. Their gaze bore into Vora 'Ledumee as he looked at Duin's corpse one last time. He wished his brother a final farewell before getting out of the crowded square as fast as he possibly could.

_**HIGH CHARITY**_**-ONE YEAR FIVE MONTHS AFTER DEATH**

Vora was once again back on _**High Charity**_. His carrier had been recalled to the station to allow the troops a break from the ever constant warfare with the Humans.

The capitol city of the Covenant Empire used to be a pleasant place to visit. A place to take a deep breath, a change of pace for busy soldiers. Now it held a chilling memory, a place that haunted him wherever he went.

His commanding duties and the war had kept him distracted and his mind off of the the loss he had experienced almost a year and a half ago. But now he was back were it all had happened. He tried to push it to the back of his mind and forget the feelings that were bubbling up to the surface.

Vora was walkind side by side with an old childhood friend as the two Sangheili warriors went to listen to the sermons of the Hierarchs.

A large hologram of the three San 'Shyuum Hierarchs rose about the assembled crowd; the chamber the Hierarch were in was already full.

The sermon was lengthy and cryptic in Vora's ears. He kept trying to focus. Pay attention and drink in the promises of the three. It was not working. He tried to believe what they were saying. Hear the truths in their lies. Nothing he did worked. With narrowed eyes and a tightness in his throat, Vora excused himself and left the sermon.

The preachings were supposed to fill him with renewed vigor. Make his blood boil to return to slaying Humans. Make him want to bask in the successes of the Covenant.

Now, they made him want to escape the lies and exit the crowded square. To run them through his head and hunt for the truth in the hollow words. The preachings made him feel bitter.

He thought it was still the last few, trailing feelings of his brother's trial, but a little voice in his head told him otherwise.

It was a simple answer. An easy solution. He simply did not believe in the empty words of the Hierarchs anymore. Vora could not get that thought out of his head fast enough.

Those kinds of thoughts were blasphemous.

Vora boarded his ship, not wishing to spend anymore time on _**High Charity**_. He would spend the rest of his break on the vessel he commanded.

Vora really had no intention to achieve godlike status, that was the endeavors of the Hierarchs. He entered the empty bridge and paced a moment before flopping into his command chair, feeling frustrated.

All the preachings and promises made by the Covenant's leaders floating through his head. Suddenly holding no meaning and confusion him.

How would exterminating an entire species help the Sangheili race? They had suffered many casualties and would continue to loose warriors as the war raged on, with no soon end in sight.

Would a deity really desire the annihilation of another sentient species?

His musing continued well into the night, occasionally interrupted by a few Sangheili and Kig-Yar who had come to retrieve something from the ship and an Unggoy who delivered a message to the bewildered Ship Master.

The more he mulled over things and tried to convince himself the Covenant was doing the right things, the more he persuaded himself the Covenant was erroneous in its ways.

Vora stood and began to fitfully pace around the bridge. His head in turmoil.

He suddenly stopped and looked at the hologram of _**High Charity**_ on the holotank in the middle of the room. His mind suddenly reaching enlightenment.

He had been spending all this time mulling over things he had never questioned before. Looking for answers where he had never looked before. He was fighting a loosing battle with a his conscience. The answer was so obvious he had missed it at first.

He was not happy here. Not that his satisfaction was all that important to the Covenant. He did not feel fulfilled. The war proved nothing to him. Vora felt his skills were not being put to use. The morals and values of the Covenant straying from the ethics he had been raised with. Realization hit him like an enraged Mgalekgolo.

He had to get out of the Covenant.

**And here is the backstory to Vora's heresy! I hope it has enough detail and is believable. I really liked this chapter. The next one will be about Janu.**

**-Masterful-Mind**


	17. Patriarch

_A Spartan's War_

A/N: This is not S'rin's backstory, but he will play a larger part in this one because heresy began to really take place after Janu met him.

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_**Thanks to the reviewers: LNMHYLIAN, Civilised Savage, AceOokami, Letty-Fan24**_

**Chapter 17: Patriarch**

**COVENANT FORWARD BASE-SIX YEARS TWO MONTHS PRIOR**

Special Operations Officer Janu 'Tellonee grunted and continued to watch two Sangheili spar.

The two young Sangheili had managed to convince the old Sangheili to help them polish up on their hand-to-hand combat skills. The youngsters were full of energy and fresh off the homeplanet. The Spec Ops Officer usually kept to his brethren when it came to hand-to-hand, it just worked out that way. Spec Ops trained away from the other troops.

The sparring pair had claimed to be one of his past pupils on Sanghelios. He had told them that if they had been his students, they would not be needing to ask for extra training now. That had just coaxed them into listing off many reasons why he should oversee their sparring session.

Growing tired of their pestering, he granted them their wish. On one condition: this was the only time they ever asked. He enjoyed instructing Sangheili in close quarters combat, but that was not his job in the military.

Janu's eyes followed the constant movement of the young Sangheili. They were so young. Fresh off Sanghelios.

Sanghelios. How he missed his homeplanet!

He pulled himself from his thoughts for a moment to step into the ring and help on of the warriors adjust his pose. Tapping his elbow until he raised it, instructing him to spread his hooves more and nudging his chin up so his head was not an easy target.

"You want to be quick, agile. Putting too much power behind your punch will make you a slow, heavy target." Janu explained before demonstrating be punching the air before him.

The soldier quickly nodded his head and turned back to his sparring partner, waiting for Janu to retreat to the corner of the ring before they began training again.

"You couldn't help yourself, could you?" Janu tilted his head to look behind him. S'rin 'Cadeonee was standing on the floor below him, smug grin plastered on his grey-blue face.

Janu let out a grunt and turned back to the ring.

"No need to be rude, brother." S'rin climbed up next to him and stood in the corner away from the rapidly moving bodies of the warriors utilizing the mat.

Janu didn't feel like dealing with S'rin's jests right now. The two had formed a fast comradeship, but S'rin could easily get on Janu's nerves. Grate on the old man's patience. He still valued the warrior's friendship.

"How long have they been sparring?" S'rin gestured to the fighting pair.

"One standard hour. I have been training them for half that time." Janu shifted his weight and was about to intercept the pair to give the other Sangheili some direct instruction, but he caught his mistake and quickly fixed it.

"How did you fare on your mission?" Janu asked.

S'rin had just returned from a successful assassination mission. The Humans were now short one of their more prominent Captains.

"It went well. The Humans were never aware of my presence until my Energy Sword had pierced their leader." S'rin looked pleased, but Janu knew that S'rin did not like assassination missions as much as others offered to Stealth Sangheili. The warrior preferred infiltration and stalking, wiping out camps quietly rather than being tasked with the death of only one Human.

Janu grunted again and turned his green eyes forward once more.

"You seem thoughtful. Tell me, what are you thinking?" S'rin questioned his friend.

"I am wondering why you are not fooling around and trying to bother me." Janu responded.

"I am serious, Janu."

"The war has begun to tire me, for I am not a young Sangheili anymore. I miss the homeworld."

"We all miss the homeworld. You are nostalgic for your youth." S'rin commented and threw in a little jest. Janu narrowed his green eyes a moment then chuckled quietly.

"You know how to ease any situation. My life is passing me by, I wish to return to my old way back on Sanghelios. This was is preventing me from doing so." He admitted.

S'rin placed a hand on the old Sangheili's shoulder, "Come. This is not a conversation you want to be having with so many ears about."

Janu dismissed himself by telling the youngsters that they had learned enough for one day and followed S'rin out into the halls.

"To die in battle is honorable." He commented as they walked down the purple corridor.

"Yes. I have seen many battles in my lifetime. "

"Yet you still desire your life back on Sanghelios."

Janu nodded his head solemnly.

He had lived a long life. He had seen more battles than some of the Sangheili on the base had been alive. When there was not fighting to be done, Janu was an instructor in the many keeps in the state he came from. He taught hand-to-hand combat to the many Sangheili who came through the keep.

Then the war with the Humans had started. He returned to doing what he knew very well, fight a war. He, like all Sangheili knew the honor in armed conflict. At first, he had been eager to kill his fair share of Humans, eager for Special Operations missions. He was still engaged in the war, but he was becoming a tired old man who wished to return to his home.

"Is this what aging does to a Sangheili?" S'rin joked, a small smile on his mandibles. Janu sigh and nudged his friend with his large shoulder.

**COVENANT FORWARD BASE-ONE MONTH LATER**

Janu kept his back pressed tightly against the wall he was crouched against. The base was under attack the the old Sangheili was watching the group of attackers near his position. Janu, S'rin and some of the Spec Ops and Stealth Sangheili under each of their command, where camouflaged and spread strategically around the room.

Janu's hand held his Energy Sword with an old familiarity, his hand itching to squeeze the bright blade to life. He had to wait. S'rin and him had obviously stumbled onto the leader of this whole operation and the soldiers closest to him.

The Covenant Base was being attacked by a large band of rouge aliens. Sangheili, Unggoy, and Kig-Yar, dressed in odd armor had stormed the base in force and had managed to get inside the stronghold. The rogues easily out numbered the smaller forward base, but the Covenant soldiers were armed to the teeth, talented combatants, and looking for a good fight after being confined to the base for some time.

He guessed that many of the attackers where ex-Covenant based on their combat talents. Many of the Sangheili exhibited the knowledge only one who had actually experienced a war would know and the Kig-Yar displayed Covenant-like military techniques.

The two teams had obviously stumbled into the room where the ex-Covenant had set up their impromptu command center. A Sangheili in impressive ornamental armor stalked around the room, evidently in charge of the assault.

Janu crouched and sidled along the wall slowly, for he knew he needed to be careful around the ornamental Sangheili marching around. His active camo was only good until he was spotted. If he displayed his full height and moved at a normal pace, the trained eye of the other soldier would easily pick up his movements and the ripple they made in the seemingly empty air.

The ornamental Sangheili snarled and pounded a heavy fist on a nearby table top.

"Move more troops to the East side of the base! We cannot allow them to retake that sector!" He glared at the small display to his left.

"Sir! Two squads are pinned down in the Northeast sector and are unable to aid the teams to the East! They have dwindled our numbers so it is now one to one! We no longer hold the advantage!" Another Sangheili reported, his own eyes glued to a portable terminal display.

"We must take this base! The sector is much too important for the Covenant to occupy!"

_"What is the meaning of their attack?"_ Janu silently wondered.

"I thought we were pushing them out of this area to avoid sending these men to death." A Kig-Yar stated, clicking a few times in its own bird-like language, large dark eyes creasing.

"We are doing just that, but this area is also valuable to our cause." The ornamental Sangheili responded.

Janu motioned towards S'rin, telling him and his team to halt their advances for the time being. His keen eyes picked up S'rin's invisible arm movements. He wanted to hear their reason for being here, it would be valuable intel. And not to mention, the last statement had caught his attention.

_"Avoid sending these men to death? Are they trying to protect us? By attacking our base?"_ His eyebrow ridges creased in question. The men in this room were obviously heretics or part of some small trivial group that had separated from the Covenant. It rarely occurred, but it was not unheard of. He had never encountered or heard of such a large group like this one! He wanted to know why they were here. Most of the tribes left the Covenant and were never heard from again. They may be eliminated by assassins or an Arbiter of there was one, but _they _never initiated the contact.

He silently urged the leader to divulge more information for the invisible Covenant Sangheili around him to hear.

"These Kig-Yar are blind, Sangheili too. Why save their lives?" The same Kig-Yar said back to his leader.

"This is not the time to question our motives!" The Sangheili barked. "You know as well as I do that their is a very large encampment of Human warriors on the other hemisphere and of their plans to annihilate this very base. Our brothers may be blind, but they do not deserve to murdered for their unjust cause." The Sangheili then proceeded to curse very colorfully in his native language and madly jabbed at his display, spouting loud orders in the process.

_"Blind?"_ Janu crawled nearer the group, bringing the hilt of his sword up to bear, S'rin following soon after and their teams lowering themselves into position.

"I hope they understand our message. We are saving them from death and the wrongful _Great Journey!_" Another Kig-Yar practically sneered, pulling his needle rifle closer to his boney thin frame.

"It would take much to convince any of our brothers that the Great Journey is wrong. We are loosing as many people as the Humans are. This war will never end until every Human, Sangheili, Kig-Yar, until every man, woman, and child from _all_ our species is dead or dying. There is no winning this war. Life will never be as it was before all this mayhem." He lamented, giving his massive head one firm shake.

"You are mistaken in your ways, brother." Janu's body rippled and his active camo crackled and slid from his body with a purple lining; as he stood to his full height and raised his blade threateningly. The other Covenant in the room revealed their figures, some still having a slight purple after effect of prolonged active camouflage use. They then proceeded to stab their individual targets.

The ornamental Sangheili slid to the ground with a soft hiss, his body sliding off the sharp curves of Janu's Energy Sword with snaps and fizzes.

This fight was over. The heretics words were finally silenced. For now.

**COVENANT FORWARD BASE-TEN HOURS: POST ATTACK**

Janu turned his plasma rifle over in his hands. He was stomping through the brush as he retuned to the small base. The low hanging vines and stubby branches of the tightly packed trees made it hell to work his way back to the open land the base was built upon. He meant to focus on the post-attack mission he had just completed, but the ex-Covenant leader's words kept running through his busy mind.

_"It would take much to convince any of our brothers that the Great Journey is wrong. We are loosing as many people as the Humans are. This war will never end until every Human, Sangheili, Kig-Yar, until every man, woman, and child from _all_ our species is dead or dying. There is no winning this war. Life will never be as it was before all this mayhem."_

The Sangheili had seemed sorrowful and full of regret as he spilled his thoughts to the Kig-Yar he was conversing with. Janu had been in many wars both on Sanghelios and off. The war with the Humans was the longest he had fought in by far. And it did not have an end in the near future, either. There were still Forerunner artifacts to find and Human worlds to decimate.

Janu thought back to the attack. After discussing his findings with the commander on base, they came to the agreement that the heretic attack was more of a message than anything else.

The Humans on the planet were not aware of the Covenant base lurking in the shadows. The base had kept themselves quiet until the best moment to attack the Human base occurred. It was a research base and the Humans had uncovered a Forerunner artifact. The base was the only on in the system, so it meant there would be no carriers and thousands of troops to supply an onslaught of power and merely crush the Humans. It had to be a well planned, tactical attack to catch the Humans off guard with the small number of trained soldiers.

After the heretic attack, that would not be happening anytime soon. Janu snorted as he walked by a pungent flower, thoughts still nagging in his mind. He slowly thought over the Sangheili's phrase again and again.

He was a soldier of the Covenant. That was all. He had no religious or personal connection to the war. Yes, he believed in the Forerunners, but he did not chose to follow the San 'Shyuum as religious prophets. He was fighting for Sanghelios, the other planets occupied by Sangheili, and his people.

The Sangheili had made it seem like the San 'Shyuum were deceiving the Sangheili; that the Great Journey was no more than a ploy to get the Sangheili worked up enough to declare war on the Humans. That they played on their religion so they would exterminate another race.

But he did have one point. This war was to kill Humans. It would not end until they were erased from the face of the universe. To accomplish that goal, Covenant soldiers would die in the process. Killing an entire species means just as many sacrifices on the other side.

Janu pushed through the last of the offending plants and stepped out into the wide field; base in view. He had seen many a battle in his lifetime and it was beginning to wear on him. He just wanted to haul his old bones back to Sanghelios and not have to worry about fighting another goddamn war. He was a well recognized and decorated soldier. He had accomplished much and honor had been bestowed on him because of his involvement in battle. He had reached the apex of his life and he desired nothing more than to retire when he was the best, never give himself a chance to fall from the proverbial pedestal he was on.

As he continued his hike, he shifted his thoughts from the blasphemous turn they were beginning to take to what he was going to say when he reported to the base commander.

He was a Sangheili of war and honor, he would focus on the dead heretic no more. As he formed a quick report in his head, the Sangeheili's last words still floated in the back of his mind. Not on the forefront of his mind, but there none the less.

**This was written somewhere between AP Physics and AP English Language homework, so it was a little rushed. Hope it lives up to the standard :) Please leave a review!**

**-Masterful-Mind**


	18. Inquiry

_A Spartan's War_

A/N: Niro and S'rin's backstories, then I will return to the main plot. Okay, so Niro's story proved to be rather difficult to write. I had an idea of where I wanted to go, but not so much for the smaller details. I think I spent a lot of time explaining the bulk of a situation instead of moving on to the whole heresy side of the story.

I really wanted to extend the scene when Niro was on Sanghelios, but I felt it wouldn't move the story along in the direction I needed it to go. Oh! And there may be some of my other OCs in this chapter too because I may through in some scenes on the _**Triumphant Declaration**_, and I just love all my Elites to death :)

And there is not very much dialogue in this chapter, for some reason I didn't put much in.

Enjoy the chapter and leave a review when you are done reading!

_**Thanks to the reviewers Civilised Savage, A Drunk Canadian, and TheInfamousAssassin.**_

**Chapter 18: Inquiry**

**SANGHELIOS-TWO YEARS PRIOR**

Niro 'Reshinee was a young Sangheili. He was born after the Human-Covenant War and had always known of the plight called Humanity. He still retained some of the naivete and impressionability of the youth of the race, but he liked to think that he was a mature youth. The maturity he referred to was reflected in his military career and the beginning of an virtuoso adulthood.

Niro was a loyal Sangheili, both as a warrior and as a son. If he felt for a cause, there was little to be done to turn him away. He was also full of questions.

When he was just a tiny little thing, he would always rattle of the _Why? How? Do you...? When does...? What for...?_ And it continued well into his life, but the questions evolved into something a little more. Reasoning and a true wonder at the occurrences around him.

Niro was currently stooped over a datapad. He eyes were beginning to ache and his mouth was dry. He blinked to try and rest his tired eyes for a moment before returning to the text laying on the table. His com beeped and the annoying noise pulled his attention towards his helmet. His helmet was sitting lopsided on the pile of his carelessly discarded armor.

He grumbled to himself and stood to retrieve the helmet for the fourth time since he had begun his reading. He settled it on his head and lines of text appeared before his already aching eyes. Glancing down to the name scribbled at the bottom of the message, he casually removed his helmet and dumped it back onto the pile.

It was from the Sangheili as the last three times. This time, he attempted to contact Niro via text communication rather than the voice messages he had left with the annoyed Niro.

Some of Niro's close friends wanted him to go out with them. Wanted him to join in on activities like drinking, chasing women, whatever rambunctious young soldiers do while on leave. Niro had turned down the request politely at first, then turned to out right ignoring their attempts of convincing him.

He would much rather return to the activities he had abandoned when he joined the military. Namely, his current research into the San 'Shyuum-Sangheili War. He was reading a lengthy report on the beginning of the war that had been archived many years ago, before he was even born. Niro knew he had never been a very studious person, but he had always enjoyed history. Eating it up as if it was his favorite treat. He enjoyed it enough to skip out on drinking and chasing women with his military friends, not that those activities ever really appealed to him.

He had just retuned to his seat, scrolled down the screen to the next section, and hunched himself over the screen to avoid the glare from the nearby window, when he heard the door to the house open. Niro perked up and listened to the heavy hoof steps moving through the front rooms.

He shared a house with his Uncle. He had entered the life of living alone a few years back and had bought a small place on his own. As his time away from Sanghelios grew because of the demand of the war, his Uncle had offered to watch the house for him when he was gone. Niro then offered the older man permanent residence. His Uncle had no family to go home to, and had practically raised Niro as his own son alongside his brother. Niro saw his Uncle as much of a paternal figure as he did his own sire. As his Uncle was also his father's brother.

Niro's home was large enough to fit two grown Sangheili and offered his Uncle a home nearer his work. As a Sangheili Councilor for the Covenant, he was always going between work and home at odd hours and intervals and sharing a home with his nephew made that easier on him. Besides, Niro loved his Uncle and didn't mind sharing a roof with him.

Niro listened as the hoof steps drew nearer to the back room he was currently sitting in. His Uncle had gone out to do the customary grocery shopping and let the young warrior enjoy his second day back on the homeworld. Niro wouldn't exactly say his Uncle was a compassionate man. He tolerated most Sangheili and had a decent demeanor. He was only truly loving and enjoyable around his brother's family. When he was playing the part of Councilor, he could be downright nasty and hold none of his thoughts back as he helped direct the Covenant.

"I thought I might find you in here." Uncle stepped through the high doorway and made his way over to a large armchair, settling his weight into it.

"Yes, as soon as I was back on Sanghelios, I made sure I got here as soon as possible." Niro's face spread into an innocent smile.

"This library has missed you as much as you miss it." Uncle reached over the side of the armchair and grasped a small package. He then leaned forward and handed it to Niro.

Niro tore off the wrapping and looked at the item in his hand.

"The full history of the Human-Covenant War. From day one to now. I know how much you love history. I couldn't resist buying it for you when I saw it in one of the stores today. Consider it your welcome home gift. Something to keep you busy when you have some personal time when you are shipped off again." Uncle explained, mandibles flaring and contracting in happiness.

"You shouldn't have!" said Niro, but his hungry gaze said otherwise. How he wanted to read it right now! He had been born after the start of the war, so there was still so much he didn't know.

"I also figured it would keep you where I can keep an eye on you." Uncle admitted. "I've seen plenty of over zealous soldiers stomping around since they returned.

Niro cocked an eyebrow ridge at Uncle. "You know what kind of man I am. I would much rather get drunk on these words," he lifted the new datapad as emphasis,"than on alcohol."

"I know, Niro. It's just my job to keep you safe since you are no longer under the guidance of my brother." Uncle shrugged his shoulders dismissively.

Niro chuckled, "You do know I am involved in one of the biggest wars in history, right?"

"Yes, I am aware of your involvement in the military and I commend you. I have experience with the flings of leave after a long campaign. One reason why I prefer to stay here and help the war effort from Sanghelios as a Councilor." Uncle leaned back in the chair he was seated in and looked out the window before returning his attention to his nephew.

"I must return to my duties in a week." said Niro.

"A week should give you plenty of time to devour that 'pad on the table. Keep your eyes off the one I gave you until you are back on board your vessel." Uncle stood with an air of finality, wished Niro happy reading, and left the room to take care of the other purchases he had made earlier that day.

_**TRIUMPHANT DECLARATION**_**-TWO MONTHS THREE WEEKS LATER**

Niro 'Reshinee jumped when he felt a heavy hand landed on his shoulder and gave a tight squeeze.

"If you are going to stare blankly at the screen, do it somewhere else than on my bridge." A deep voice said from behind him. The owner of the hand retracted it and waited for Niro's response.

Niro quickly snapped back into reality and the screen in front of him came into focus as well as the commanding presence behind him. He spun around in his seat and looked up at the tall gold armor-clad figure of Ship Master 'Ledumee.

"My apologies, Ship Master. I have a lot on my mind at the moment." He shifted his gaze down to glare at his armored hooves. Ship Master 'Ledumee's gold armored hooves moved into his line of sight as the larger Sangheili stepped forward.

"Save it for when your shift is over." Ship Master 'Ledumee tilted his head towards Niro in emphasis and his piercing gaze made Niro look up from glaring at the floor to meet his Ship Master's stare.

"Yes, Ship Master." Niro responded and waited for the commander to move away before he turned around to face his terminal again.

_"Stupid! I've been so distracted as of late. Now it is affecting my performance!"_ Niro quietly growled to himself. He reached for a pile of datapads and pulled them closer to him. Niro picked picked one up off the pile and read through the values and information on it before tapping a few icons on his terminal. As he transferred the information from the datapad to the computer, he tried not to let his thoughts wander too far.

As the result of his last moment with his head in the clouds, the Ship Master had come over to scold him. He was a Sangheili Major, but the rank did not necessarily dictate a position in the command center under the direct command of the Ship Master.

Uncle had pulled a few strings to help Niro secure a position on the bridge of the new vessel he was serving on. His Uncle has connections and he was not afraid to use them to help give his nephew a little nudge in the right direction. Both Niro and his Uncle knew that he was a formidable warrior; the Ship Master seemed to notice it as well since Niro had moved into the command center. Yet promotions seemed to have been eluding him recently.

Niro stood and walked over to one of the terminal stations along the streamlined curved wall. He came to rest at the shoulder of another officer. He reached for a few of the datapads he needed, but was stopped when the officer spoke up.

"Are you normally that jumpy around him?" Niro turned and saw S'rin 'Cadeonee look up from his work.

"Excuse me?" Niro asked out of partial embarrassment and partial confusion. He had a feeling what 'Cadeonee was addressing. He had also heard about S'rin as well.

The man was known for being one of, if not the stealthiest Sangheili aboard the warship. But he was also a very well known joker and prankster. How he ever rose to the rank of Stealth Sangheili Niro would never know. He didn't want to get teased by the Sangheili right now, and he sure didn't feel like standing there and chit-chat about his deal with superiors.

"I know you heard me. Are you normally that timid around the Ship Master?" S'rin angled his head to peer up at Niro.

"Why do you need to know?" Niro snapped.

"It was obvious that you were staring into nothing as you glared at your terminal, but when 'Ledumee came up behind you, you jumped more than a startled baby." S'rin's mandibles jumped in silent laughter.

"The Ship Master startled me when he came up behind me. I was distracted and did not hear his approach." Niro settled an icy glare on S'rin. It only made him flare his mandibles at a faster pace, indicating more non-verbal laughter.

"Right. I need those 'pads back when you are done with them." 'Cadeonee abruptly ended the conversation and turned back to his work, much to Niro's relief.

Grumbling to himself, he strode back over to his workstation with his newly acquired datapads.

Sitting down, he once again began transferring the data and reports from the 'pads into his computer and the network it was connected to. The work quickly became long-drawn-out and he tried to keep his thoughts under control, but they quickly spiraled out of control and his body was doing the work while his mind focused on other things.

He had recently begun reading the history 'pad given to him by Uncle. His strenuous military career had kept him away from some down time for a while, but he had managed to work some free time into his schedule. He was currently about one fourth through the reading.

And it has piqued his interest.

There was so much he didn't know about the Human-Covenant War. And he soaked it up like a sponge. As much information as he learned, he had as many questions.

There were many things he did not understand. The San 'Shyuum for instance. He had always accepted their leadership. Now, reading through the Human-Covenant War and having completed his San 'Shyuum-Sangheili War reading, he did not understand how the Hierarchs had risen to such a position of power over the Sangheili. There was still a cautious, fragile relationship between the two space-faring species and suddenly the San 'Shyuum were the religious leaders of the faction the Sangheili made up a bulk of and controlled the military of.

Niro had also wondered more about the Humans. During his studies, he noticed that the Humans suddenly were deemed as plight on the galaxy and a threat to the Covenant. Humanity had always stayed under the radar and never attacked the Covenant. Hell, the young species had no idea aliens existed until the Covenant landed on Harvest.

Niro had even begun to dig deeper into the Forerunners and the connection to the Covenant and Humanity. Nothing really made sense.

He had started reading the history in hope of learning about the events of the war he was fighting in before his own birth. Rather than producing solid answers, it filled him with doubt and many questions.

He had practically clung to every word, and now phrases were running through his head. The night before he had listened to some of the sermons of the Hierarchs, hoping to find some answers. Rather, it added more questions to his constantly growing list.

Educating himself on the war his life was devoted to was supposed to make him a more devout warrior, not make him question everything he had been told in his young life.

_**TRIUMPHANT DECLARATION**_**-DAY OF BLUE TEAM'S MISSION**

Niro glared at his reflection in the small mirror on the wall of his quarters. He had this feeling in his chest. He had long ago come to terms with his decision to defect from the Covenant. Yet, there was still this nagging pang in his chest. He figured it was guilt, the last inklings of doubt about his decision. He knew young people could make quick and brash decisions and he didn't want this to be one of the times he chomped on the bit. Acting too early and not thinking things through, later regretting his actions. And defecting was a big deal, not something he could later turn around and say he was sorry. He was practically signing his death warrant with the Covenant.

He wearily rubbed his mandibles. He suddenly looked up._ Uncle_. That was it. His Uncle was fiercely loyal to the Covenant and Niro knew of his harsh views. Any heretic would be on a hit list, especially with Uncle. Now, Niro was on it. Deep down he felt like he had betrayed his Uncle.

Niro dug his fingers into his temple and looked into the small mirror again. He took a deep breath. This was him making his own decisions and going down his own path in life. As of that moment, Niro was his own man.

**The last line is pitiful, I couldn't think of a good way to close the chapter! I kind of feel like I rushed/didn't explain the reason for his heresy fully and I hope I got the idea that Uncle is a paternal figure to Niro across. Just S'rin left and it will be back to the main plot. Please leave a review.**

**-Masterful-Mind**


	19. Reverence

_A Spartan's War_

_**Thanks to the reviewer: Civilised Savage**_

_**I am amazed by the amount of reviews and hits this story is getting! 62 reviews and 8, 465 hits is pretty good in my book. Keep it up, readers!**_

Non-existent dialogue in this chapter :) Okay, so I wrote this entire chapter, then realized S'rin had to show his heretic like tendencies, so I got to delete just about half of my work to do so. Oh the way my brain just goes its own direction and completely ignores any semblance of a plot :) Please leave a review on your way out! This will explain the injury that S'rin has in the other chapters.

**Chapter 19: Reverence**

**HUMAN BASE-UNKNOWN MOON-**_**Four months prior**_

S'rin 'Cadeonee had always enjoyed being a Stealth Sangheili. He wasn't keen about assassination missions, but he was honored none the less. He preferred to gather all the intel he could, then silently wipe the Human encampment off the map. He was currently on an assassination mission, but he was rather beside himself at the moment.

He had been tasked with the death of a prominent Human leader. He ran the base on this small, rocky moon and was tagged to die. S'rin had been cautiously monitoring the base acidity and the patterns of the Commander. He had easily picked up on the movement patterns of the base and was currently biding his time until he killed the meek Human.

Biding his time gather intel for personal use and stalking a personal target.

S'rin was an honorable man, followed Sangheili customs, enlisted in the Covenant military, desirable traits like that. But, he had the odd knack of showing a fascination for the enemy.

It was as simple as that.

Humans fascinated S'rin. For many reasons; reasons he would rather not share.

S'rin didn't exactly feel like a Human sympathizer, but he did notice the honorable qualities of the race. They could be a force to reckon with when the put their little minds to it. Humans also were very protective of their kin, a very Sangheili trait. They were also respectable in the aspect of science. A space-faring species and more advanced than any of the Sangheili's comrades.

His personal vendetta was the resident Spartan on the base.

If S'rin was interested in the species known has Humanity, Demons were a-whole-nother category. Another scientific and genetic achievement of the budding race was the line of super-soldiers.

The Sangheili were naturally large, powerful creates. They could easily rely on their height and brute strength. Humans, on the other hand, we small, weak animals. They were short and lacked a significant amount of muscle. It took many Humans to match one Sangheili.

One Demon could match a Sangheili.

The Humans had engineered a breed of soldiers that could easily hold their owen against waves of Covenant forces or ward of Sangheili. Even fell Hunter pairs.

This example of Human ingenuity and strength awed S'rin in a sense. He had fought a few in the past and knew just how dangerous the taller, bulky Humans in thick armor were.

A race of soldiers that instilled awe in some Sangheili, were despised or looked down upon by the very race that created them.

S'rin was no geneticist, he didn't know the fine details of the super-soldier process, but it sure as hell seemed like other Humans were cold to the soldiers.

He had observed many times the social awkwardness around the warriors. Or the smarts comments made to them.

Yet, they stayed reserved and calm in their own worlds. Purely professional when in the heat of the war. If S'rin could take a wild guess, war would have been the only thing they had ever know. Professional war fighters.

No one knew, but S'rin had his own little Demon momento. He had kept the helmet of his first Demon kill. It had to be the most honorable, worthy fight of this whole career against the Humans.

He had fought cowardly, spineless Humans; and he had also fought brave Humans. Foolishly brave Humans. But the Demon was the first example of battle prowess refined to a perfect point. The upper hand had switch from the alien to the super-solider many times until the Stealth alien had prevailed and got the kill.

Now, he was purely stalking another super-soldier out of nothing more than innocent curiosity. He needed to kill no one more than the Commander, so he allotted some of his time elsewhere.

**HUMAN BASE-UNKNOWN MOON**

S'rin 'Cadeonee silently sidled along the wall 10 feet behind the unsuspecting Human Commander. His active camouflage and years of intense training making him all but invisible to the Human eye. He had to be quick and precise about this kill. Spend too much time after the death and the Demon would certainly find him before its slower brethren. As the Demon would be the only one with a rational head after an Energy Sword was sliced through their leader.

Said Demon was merely a few dozen feet away across the room. Standing silently behind its stoic mask. S'rin had not been able to discern its gender during the days he had been tracking the soldier. He guessed it was male based on its stature.

S'rin watched as the Commander typed information into the computer sitting in front of him. Sloppy Human lettering appearing on the screen.

S'rin's long-fingered hand slid between his dual plasma rifles and gripped the thick hilt of his Energy Sword. His mandibles flapped slowly in a wide smirk and he brought his sheathed sword up to his chest, hilt fisted tightly in his large four-fingered hand.

He was about to squeeze the blade to life, when the Commander suddenly jumped up from his seat and shot across the room at an astonishing speed. The sudden change in location on the Commander's part caused S'rin to reel his head back slightly and his eyes to shoot to he Demon.

The Demon had not moved an inch. The Commander had moved in record time, and the Demon still held stock still. Arms still crossed over his armored chest and no obvious physical indication he was going to reach for the gun on his back.

S'rin was tempted to let out a semi-frustrated huff of air now that his target had rapidly fled the room. He could not vocalize his sigh since he was not alone.

He slunk towards the door and began to stand up to his full height as he moved out of the Demon's line of sight. Then the Demon began moving.

S'rin was just exiting his hunch when the Demon swung towards him and pulled his rifle from his back in one practiced, fluid motion. S'rin froze for a moment, hoping the Demon had spooked and would not notice the slight ripple in the seemingly empty air his body made.

"Damn Split-lip assassin." So much for him being spooked.

"Demon." S'rin responded. His thick voice emanating from his still invisible form. He deactivated his active camouflage. The silvery cam rippled with a light purple lining as it flowed off his tall figure. He stood to his full height and yanked his dual plasma rifles off his thighs.

Without a second thought, the Demon stepped back few paces and fired at the alien. Knowing his shields were weaker than the average Sangheili soldier, S'rin began his rapid evasion dance. He shuffled to the left, then threw himself to the right. His HUD keeping his aim true, and making the Demon's bullet trails chase him around the room.

How had his presence been revealed? The Commander and Demon obviously knew he was on their base and of his objective. Why hand't the Humans intervened earlier? And more aggressively? Well, the Demon was powerful, but why not throw as many Human soldiers at him that would successfully bring down the much larger alien? He had been careful and meticulous; the way he always was when on an important assassination mission.

The Demon brought the sights of his rifle closer to his gold visor and lined up shot after shot after shot. S'rin was a Stealth Sangheili, he had weaker shields than the rest of his brethren. Stealth Sangheili sacrificed the integrity of their shields for active camouflage that was stronger and could be activated for a time nearly double that of any other warrior.

S'rin growled angrily in his throat. His shields pinged, warning him of the low level. S'rin dove behind the large conference table, tucked, rolled, and avoided the computer that tumbled off the tabletop. He came back up in a tight crouch near the opposite corner of the table. He quickly lifted his dual plasma rifles and fired at the hulking form of the Demon in pale green armor.

The two rifles flung hot blue plasma at the Human super-soldier. The Demon dropped into a crouch and side-walked out of the range of the Elite hunched behind the table corner. Growling in frustration, S'rin advanced. Straightening, he lurched forward and threw himself at the Human soldier.

He rapidly replaced his rifles on his thighs and retrieved his Energy Sword. The Demon whipped his pistol out, preparing for the sudden close quarters combat. S'rin snapped his sword to life with a powerful squeeze from his large hand. The Demon shifted a leg back and settled its weight into a sturdy close quarters stance, leveling his pistol at the advancing alien and squeezing off three rounds with sharp barks from the handheld weapon.

The heavy slugs slammed into S'rin and his shield did their best to absorb the attack. His long strides brought him within striking distance of the super-soldier. He lunged suddenly and swiped with the crackling weapon.

The two large soldiers collided with the heavy sound of armor rubbing together. S'rin's sword glanced off the Demon's shields, but it instantly depleted them. The Human tossed his pistol around and clamped his hand around the barrel of the shiny silver gun. He now held an effective bludgeoning weapon rather than the projectile weapon before.

S'rin spun on the heel of his hoof and swung again. The Demon threw his body weight the other direction and just managed to miss the hot blade flying past his torso. He pummeled the handle of the pistol into S'rin's shoulder and spun to the alien's other side to once again bring the weapon down his shoulder in another a heavy attack. S'rin's shields crackled and died in a blue fizz.

He sliced upwards with his sword and once again depleted the Demons almost recharged shields. He was about to go in for the kill, when a sharp, hot pain surged through his leg. He let out a shocked and pained roar and pulled his fist down on the Demon's head. He effectively knocked the pale green Human away.

S'rin glanced down to his madly spasming thigh. Purple blood oozed from between the shattered plating of the armor on his left thigh. He could make out the impact point of the butt of the pistol. Only a Demon could muster enough power to completely punch through Elite armor with the butt of a gun. The chipped and cracked armor poked into S'rin's now tender skin, heightening in pain when he moved. The bone was obviously broken. He had no more time to try and assess the gravity of his injury, nor time to try and fix it.

The Demon stalked back towards his enemy. The end of his pistol was lazily dripping purple liquid off of the round edges. S'rin clenched his mandibles and hissed as his armor dug into his skin and the broken edges of the bone grated together beneath his sore muscles. He brought his Energy Sword up to bear and prepared himself as best he could for the attack.

The Demon tossed the pistol and caught the proper end; deciding not to go hand to hand with the now injured alien. Ignoring his wound, S'rin jumped forward and slashed twice with the leading edge of the light blue weapon. The first slash connected with the Demon's shields and armor as the Human bullets slammed into S'rin's shields and armor. The second slash bit through the thick metal armor on the Demon's torso and chest. The twin spiked slid through the Human's chest and easily poked out on the opposite side of the body with a sickening, sloppy sound.

The Human was speared on the Energy Sword and his crimson blood began to flow down the blade, sizzling as it connected with the superheated weapon.

"Your life is mine; as well as your pathetic commander." S'rin murmured, then jerked the blade from the dead body of the Demon. His heavy body crumpled to the ground as soon as the blade was yanked from his cooling corpse. This was not S'rin' first super-soldier kill, but he still felt some semblance of pride at his success. Yet, it was not as strong as his normal post-kill rush was. Something was missing. It was almost _lacking_. Like he _regretted_ his actions

He reserved a small amount of respect for the Demons. He had honorably killed the one laying on the floor before him. The man had died in battle like a true soldier, yet dying in battle did not necessarily mean _deserving_ to die in battle. The Demon was another unnecessary casualty of the war consuming the races.

S'rin forced his head back to reality as his thought strayed to a realm they never should. He took a tentative step forward to test his leg and winced as pain shot through him. He steeled his eyes and began to walk at his normal pace. He had no time to fuss over the injury, the only indication he was hurt aside from the cascade of blood, the the slightest hint of a limp.

Blood was the essence of a Sangheili. Essentially their _soul_. To let it be spilled was not honorable unless the act was death. He would not allow the medic on the frigate he served to treat him. It would be too shameful. He would either tough through it or die. The Demon had spilled his blood and ultimately paid for it with his life.

S'rin pondered for a moment about the Humans' views of honor when fighting. He had seen both brutal and acceptable warfare tactics on their parts. Still, he felt a slight tug when he thought about the race he had been taught to hate.

He slunk into the hall and activated his camo. The base must be on full alert at this point. If the Demon could not stop him, then neither could any of the Humans trapped here with him.

A flash of light grey fabric dotted with stripes of color caught his attention. He turned his invisible head to see the Commander's medal covered chest disappear around the corner.

S'rin would finish his mission yet.

He gave a grouchy grumble and followed the Commander around the corner.

The Commander never stood a chance. The Sangheili's long strides quickly over took the man and the blade was sticking through his spine and between his ribs. The man's uniform was soaked in red as he fell to the ground in an unceremonious heap and S'rin returned his sword to his right hip.

He need to find a way out of the base without anymore run ins. He could and would easily finish anyone who was unlucky enough to cross his invisible path. However, he was still stuck on the Demon.

He had killed the Commander because his orders dictated so. He had killed the Demon because it had intervened. S'rin had been content to follow and silently study and watch the super-human. All his previous encounters with Demons had been in the midst of battle and culminated in an impressive fight. This had been the first time he had been able to confront the Demons.

His first encounter had been interesting to say the least. S'rin had never seen these Humans before and they seemed like an entirely new race of the fleshy creatures. Over time he had learned of their sparse numbers and super-solider status rather than the sister species to the Humans rumor that was popular with the Covenant ranks.

The emergence of the super-humans had fueled the Covenant to further their crusade against the Humans and reinvigorated the aliens as much as the Demons heightened moral back home.

The super-humans had peaked S'rin's interest and respect when he ran into skirmish after skirmish with them involved. S'rin had always had a private esteem for the hated race. They were not exactly the mindless, pitiful race that the universe needed to be rid of. S'rin knew that many seasoned Sangheili veterans felt that the Humans should have been considered for admittance into the Covenant. The Hierarchs had immediately denied the request and declared war on what they considered a spineless species.

Compared to the Sangheili, Humans were an unimpressive race; yet they still held brave and honorable qualities.

S'rin had experienced the willingness of self-sacrifice and comradeship in fighting complete annihilation firsthand. During his many campaigns he had even witnessed the Demons audacity to serve and protect their smaller brethren.

Admirable and noteworthy acts on Humanity's part.

S'rin aimed to switch his thoughts from his growing praise of Humans, profane ideas if he didn't check himself, to the situation that should be on the forefront of his mind. He was perfectly aware of the purple trail seemingly to appear on the metal floor as the invisible alien limp walked the best he could. The slick blood was hot as it seeped out of his inflamed thigh.

He limped as fast as he could through the next portal and hugged the wall. He had killed all the Humans who were unlucky enough to notice his subtle blood trail and act upon it. This hall way conveniently empty of soldiers and made for an easy trip.

S'rin exited the drab, grey building meant to withstand siege. He was set to rendezvous with a team of Stealth Sangheili. His leg was extremely painful at this point. That was another thing about Humans. It both stumped him and awed him.

The little fleshy creatures willingly accepted aid from medics and groveled for medical attention. Sangheili would much rather die. Humans, not so much. They valued life more than anything.

His leg spasmed and he felt his bones rub painfully together as he settled his weight on the leg before removing it when he took a step with the opposite leg.

Humans would always confuse him. They were a race to be despised. Murdered like puny animals. However, they still possessed an air that he secretly admired, besides his audacity to still kill them on demand.

He limped farther and farther from the base. Closer and closer to his awaiting comrades. Mind still lost to pondering thoughts.

***gasp* I killed a Spartan! I liked writing the little fight scene. S'rin's story had less of a sudden epiphany and was supposed to be rather subtle and not quite complete. I decided that his backstory would be more gradual than the others and would not have the catalyst be one single event.**

**I've posted close to three chapters since the school year has started. I'm pretty proud of myself, it usually comes to a complete stop for ten months. And I have the most hellish schedule this year, so it is a little accomplishment for me. Please leave a review!**

**-Masterful-Mind**


	20. Coup de Main

_A Spartan's War_

A/N: Back to the main story! I need to get that going, hopefully hint at some stuff in this chapter. I will work to speed up the lovin' :)

**Chapter 20: Coup de Main**

_**TRIUMPHANT DECLARATION-**_**08:00 HOURS**

Jessie cautiously walked down the long, curving hallway. She had been roomed near the bridge and the heretics so they could avoid unnecessary confrontations with the more aggressive crew. Strength in numbers on the heretics part. Her helmet allowed her a full view of the corridor without having to physical move her head around. The hall was full of the hustle and bustle of Elites going about their business, and her helmet allowed her to keep her ahead forward, but her gaze could wander as much as the hall as she needed. Much like a dog, Elites could easily be provoked by looking in their eyes.

Jess approached the entrance to the bridge and froze misstep and whisked out her rifle in response to the situation before here. A pair of Hunters leveled their massive cannons at the Spartan and bellowed low and guttural. Informing the Elite bridge crew of the intruder.

Arm-mounted shield before its' chest, one of the Hunters began charging the massive cannon it wielded, barrel beginning to glow florescent green.

Jess flicked her safety off and began to step back quickly, moving out of the instant kill zone. Had she stated where she was previously standing, she would have been killed by the Hunter's blast if he hit her or not, she was that close. The Hunters took two thudding steps forward to follow the Spartan.

Jessie's trigger finger began to compress the trigger, when a familiar shape ducked out of the bridge and into the Hunter's line of fire. She immediately eased the pressure and slid her finger out of the trigger guard to rest alongside the length of her rifle.

The Elite began warbling in its' native language and making sharp gestures, still facing the Hunters. The pari emitted a few quiet roars before relaxing and returning to their post outside the command center, no longer seeing the Spartan as an enemy.

The Elite then turned to Jessie.

"It is for our protection." Was his reason for his attack.

"They were not informed of my presence on this warship?" The Elite only twitched a mandible, looking a little annoyed. "Sure as hell not the greeting I expected." She brushed by him without another word and preceded to enter the command center.

Vora instantly recognized the familiar black form that entered his bridge. Even on a ship filled with aliens that were still for foe than friend, she still held an air that demanded authority and confidence. When she glanced over to him, he pointed to the terminal that had been set up for her.

Jessie was originally going to report to the Chief in her room, but Vora insisted that she make her call on the command center. The Ship Master had been adamant enough to threaten her with his rank until she relented and agreed to allow him to be present for her report.

She moved over to a small, secluded alcove that had a communications terminal. The data had been entered for her since she could not decipher the complex runes and symbols consisting of the Covenant battlement. The heavy stomp of hooves alerted her to the Zealots presence. He moved to stand at her side and hit the symbol on the layout that established the link with the Master Chief.

Jess expected for Vora to move back to stand outside of the visual range of the communications, so he could just listen to the exchange. Rather, he continued to stand at Jess's shoulder, making no effort to move.

When the Master Chief appeared on the small holotank next to the terminal, he showed no surprise at seeing the alien commander even though he had expected a private report between him and his teammate.

"Jessie, right on time." Chief inclined his head to the two figures.

"Chief." She responded with the normal greeting. "I am reporting in."

"I see that you made it through the night alright. What is the status of the ship?" The Chief threw a small glance at the massive alien form next to his soldier.

"There have been no significant changes from the condition you saw the crew in when you were last here." Jessie reported. "But I did have a minor run -in this morning." John's gaze switched from Jessie to Vora, eyeing the man he had left his soldier's life with.

"What of the run-in?"

"There are a pair of Hunters guarding the command center. They apparently were not alerted of my presence. It did not exceed a stand off." She angled her visor towards the Ship Master with her last comment.

Vora did not betray his cool, calm exterior. "It would seem the Sangheili in charge of briefing the Mgalekgolo did not fulfill his duty. He shall be delta with accordingly." His voice was deep and flat, orange-copper eyes steeled a bit. The Sangheili had seen the Mgalekgolo pair as an opportunity to kill the Demon who was obviously allied with the heretics in control of the warship. The warrior would not be making that mistake again. he had chosen the wrong Demon and the wrong Ship Master to mess with.

"Good. If the ship is still under your control, I know it will be properly taken care of." Chief looked back to Jess. "Keyes has yet to determine the length of your stay on the _**Triumphant Declaration**_."

Vora took a small step forward and shifted his steely gaze over the commanding Demon. "Why was I not alerted to your Captain's indecisiveness?" His voice still retained the unnatural flat quality.

"Human soldier, Human decision." Was John's curt reply.

"Sangheili vessel, Sangheili decision. Tell your Captain that I will be included in his deliberations when it comes to _my ship_ and the _soldiers on my ship_!"

"Yes, Ship Master. There are Human officials who wish to meet with you now rather than wait for the others to come to agreement. Keyes has arranged for the base on the planet we are orbiting to host the informal meeting. Human warships are expected to arrive soon. We will head down to the surface soon. Expect to hear from Keyes." John cut the connection, ending the budding argument.

Jessie angled herself towards the seemingly pissed off alien.

"Do not get worked up over it. One thing you need to learn about Humans is our tendency to be ignorant and stubborn to the point of being mulish." Jessie tried to explain to calm the worked up Ship Master.

"I do not tolerate my authority being challenged. I do not your Human commander taking advantage of our partnership." He spun smartly on his heel and clasped his hands tightly behind his back before stalking off to make a few rounds.

Jessie shook her head and moved to stand along the wall near the Ship Master's commander chair and the guards at the door.

"Do not mind him." Jess jerked around to see Janu looking up at her from his seat. "The Ship Master can get irritated and snappy when there is a lot going on."

"That is understandable." She shrugged her armored shoulders.

"Do not take it personally." Janu returned to his work as Vora 'Ledum strode by his station.

Jessie watched Vora return to his command chair and heavily drop into it.

"Prepare two Phantoms. We are heading to the surface. Janu, S'rin, Niro, Demon, you are with me. Be prepared to leave in thirty minutes." Vora barked.

**PLANET SURFACE-09:00 HOURS**

Jessie exited the Phantom behind 'Ledum and trailed by Niro. She had read layouts of the planet before they had landed.

The planet consisted of both military and civilian communities. It had been selected as a meeting place for some of the Human officials and the parties from the _**Pillar of Autumn **_ and the _**Triumphant Declaration **_ because of its more remote location.

There were a few abandoned buildings around the selected landing zone and about a dozen Marines and an official from the local military base sent to meet them. The Pelicans from the _** Autumn**_ were just beginning to take shape in the bright blue summer sky. As the small party walked towards the Marines followed by a few soldiers, suddenly the sound of shots being fired filled the air.

Armor-piercing sniper rounds flew mere inches from Vora's face.

"Get down!" Jess let over to the Ship Master and grabbed his shoulder and neck, yanking him down to the ground with her. She faced her back to the direction of fire and the two scrambled behind the sparse cover provided by the landing zone and dilapidated buildings.

She could hear the Elites and Marines immediately returning fire and a man shouting madly into a comma for the Pelicans to rise and get out of the area.

Jess popped up over the barrier and fired three rounds at the spot she had seen the bright muzzle flash of a sniper. Vora popped up as well and fired with his Plasma Rifle.

"Why are the Humans firing at us!" He sounded confused and furious.

"Hell if I know! Just kill them!" She ducked down as another sniper round whizzed past the two of them. She quickly surveyed the area. Two Sangheili were down with armor-piercing rounds through their heads, purple blood congealing around their prone forms. The Human official was dead as well and the Marine who had been trying to protect him was draped across his back, dead.

Vora had obviously been one of the other targets alongside the Human official. Who were the attackers? How did they know of their arrival and the importance of the man meeting them? Before she had a chance to analyze the situation any further, a huge blast caught her attention.

One of the dilapidated buildings exploded in a ball of bright orange fire. Pieces of twisted and shattered metal and wood was flung out from the growing fireball that clawed higher in the sky. The boom was deafening and rattled the other nearby buildings.

One of the Elites in their party gave a strangled, startled cry as a small metal beam pierced his torso. Quivering hands gently grasped the beam, blood coated his slick fingers. His fading eyes meet Jessie's visor and he crumpled to the ground, dead.

The splintered wood and hot metal began to fall from the sky like some hellish rain. One of the Marine's dove behind the landing gear the Ship Master and Spartan were crouching behind. The man's back crashed into the barrier and he clutched his gun to his blood coated chest.

"The Commander's dead! You're in charge until the Captain arrives!" The man shouted above the roar of battle. Vora instantly began shouting orders and snapping for status updates.

"Get those men out of the open! They stand no chance against those snipers!"

Jessie sprinted from her safe position over to the dwindling numbers of Human soldiers. She grabbed the two nearest Marines and unceremoniously tossed them behind a large chunk of fallen rubble.

"Stay behind cover!" She heard the retort of a sniper rifle and threw herself to the ground to avoid the deadly bullet. She sat on her rear, leaned back and fired her own rifle. When no second bullet followed the first,she knew she had killed her attacker.

"You three, come with me! The rest of you, find cover and lay down suppressing fire!" Jess motioned to the three Marines who seemed to be in the best condition. Only having suffered a few cuts and bruises compared to the broken bones and stab wounds of their companions.

Vora and he bleeding Marine rose from their cover and scrambled closer to the Humans, diving behind cover again.

The Zealot saw Jess and her squad of three start to run towards the ridge the snipers were crouched on.

"Janu!" Vora called to the Sangheili a few yards behind him. "Go with her!" He swung his large head, indicating Jessie. The old Sangheili bobbed his head in acknowledgement and ran to follow the backs of the retreating Humans.

Vora watched his soldier follow the Demon currently under his protection and angrily fired plasma at the ridge concealing the pesky snipers.

_"The Humans better have a __**damn good reason**__ for this!"_ He thought bitterly.

His focus was torn from the ridge to the advancing squad when the sound of a bullet biting through soft flesh caught his ears. The Human taking point caught a bullet in the chest, blood spurted from the wound and he immediately dropped dead. The bullet, meant for killing armored enemies, continued through his soft, fleshy body and impacted the armored woman directly behind him.

The bullet hit her about halfway up the right side of her ribcage. The armor-piercing weapon punched through her shields and armor and came to rest just shy of her ribs. Vora could faintly see the blood painting crimson rivulets down her onyx black armor.

"Scatter!" Her squad spread out and picked up their pace. She held her position and laid down covering fire, knowing Janu would easily assume command of the ragtag squad.

The Human sniper fire switched from the Humans and Elites hiding farther back in the field to the quickly advancing threat. Janu and the two remaining Marines disappeared into the ridge.

All became quiet as the fight switched from ranged weapons to very close combat.

Janu and the two Marined exited the ridge and began moving across the field, two Humans stronger.

Jess heard the surviving Marines and Elites approach, led by Ship Master 'Ledum.

The small squad came met them. Janu firmly held one Human by the scruff of his neck and shoulder, fingers digging into the soft flesh there. Jess was sure the young man could feel Janu's claws poking into him due to the severity of the two Marines were struggling to keep their grip on the arms of a rowdy older man. He was shouting obscenities and struggling in the two soldiers' grasps.

Vora looked ready to rip the mens' heads off their shoulders with his bare hands, Jessie put her arm out to stop the large aliens advance. She recognized their uniforms immediately. This was her realm. She had been created to quell this threat as much as she had for the Covenant.

The red fist symbol on the shoulders of their dark uniforms gave them away.

_"Insurrectionists!"_ She thought.

"Radio Keyes! Give him a status update now. I want these Insurrectionists handcuffed and prepped for transfer." She turned to a Marine from the military base on the planet. "Contact the base and let them know we have a few surprise guests with us. I'm sure they have a few cells to spare."

Jessie yanked the older man from the struggling Marines. Her hands created a vice grip around his biceps as she pushed him in front of her, giving him the signal to walk. Janu followed behind her with his own captive and Vora joined the two after giving his own orders.

"You Humans are fighting your own war amongst yourselves as well as the Covenant?" Vora's pace matched Jessie's.

"Yes. There are Insurrectionists and rebel groups who do not agree with the Unified Earth Government and are trying to lay waste to the UNSC. They were the primary reason for the Spartan program before the Covenant came along." She was about to stay more when the man in her grasp began to fight back.

He let his legs fall out form beneath him. His weight fell downwards, but then he quickly regained his footing and attempted to kick Jess' legs out from under her. When that didn't work, he balled his hands into fists and tried to pull his arms away from the much stringer Spartan.

Jessie quickly brought him back under control.

She released one of his arms and placed her hand forcefully on his shoulder blade before jerking the arm still in her grasp down and out. His shoulder gave a sickening pop as the joint dislocated. The man cried out and sputtered as Jessie wheeled him around to stare into her emotionless visor.

"Let's not do that again, shall we?" He voice was cold. A terrified looked passed over the man' face and he momentarily looked to the Elite standing next to the Spartan, as if looking for some sort of aid or salvation. Vora narrowed his orange-copper eyes and gave a sharp bark. The man quickly looked back to the black armored Spartan and rapidly shook his head.

"Good. I would like for there to be _some _part of you left for me when we get you all settled into your cell." The man knew she hinted at the interrogation methods running through her head.

"God dammit!" The man mumbled as Jess yanked him into a walk again. Janu had passed them when they stopped to discipline the Innie and the two groups met up at the now arriving Warthogs. The Pelicans from the _**Autumn**_ gently landed and let their cargo hop down from the extended ramps.

"Your team missed all the fun." Vora commented dryly as he passed a set of handcuff to the Demon.

Jessie gave a small snort as she slapped the cuffs roughly on the man's wrists and lifted him up to the Marine on the Warthog. "Yes, they did." She brushed her hands together lightly when the Innie was out of her grasp. "Chief is going to have a field day with those two."

Vora looked up at the scared young man and his more firry older counterpart. "I was told this was a remote planet. That we would be safe here."

"It seems that the UNSC base has encouraged a rebel group to form from the civilians who live here." She guessed.

"Come. We should check on the dead and wounded since your Marines seem to have everything else under control." He spotted three Marines briefing the rest of the Demon squad and Captain Keyes.

Jess left the side of the Warthog and joined Vora as he made his way towards the wounded Elites. Jess stopped at the bodies of the ones who had been part of the first casualties and crouched down to inspect them. Vora lowered himself down to the ground next to her, one knee braced against the blood soaked ground.

"Armor-piercing rounds." Jess peeled back some of the Elite's brown skin and exposed the end of the bullet. "The Innies were not out here for mere Marine target practice. They had an objective." He thick black gloves were now coated in purple and red blood.

"An assassination mission turned firefight." Vora mused.

"I would make the same guess. We will not know for sure until one of us gets our hands on those rat bastards in the Warthog." She braced her hands on her knees and pushed herself back to her feet.

"I still do not see how these rebels would know of our arrival. This was meticulously arranged." Vora grumbled as he too stood up.

"More questions and more answers." Suddenly, her vision began to swim. Her ears rang and she could not tell the sky from the ground. She could feel pressure on her arm and shoulder, but it seemed so far away.

"Demon!" Vora called out. He saw her start to sway on her now unsteady feet and had gripped her shoulder and arm to keep her upright. "Demon, talk to me!" He voice took on a slightly worried edge.

Jess recognized the worried voice. It was Vora. She grunted as her legs gave out and she collapsed. Pulling the Ship Master down with her.

Vora's grip never faltered as he felt her fall. He guided her down to the ground and kneeled beside her. "Demon!" He tried again.

"Damn. Fucking things were tipped!" She groaned. Vora's mandibles splayed and he emitted a low grumble. He cautiously pressed his fingers into the bleeding bullet wound as her body spasmed. "How-? How could I let myself get shot!" She said testily, voice growing quiet.

"Hush. Do not waste your strength." He looked up and caught sight of the Master Chief and a Human medic rushing over to the two of them. "Stay with me now." He ordered. Jess gave a half-hearted grunt.

"What happened?" John dropped down beside Vora, but scooted over to make room for the medic. The doctor tried to wave the Ship Master away, but the throaty rumble he gave convinced the medic the Sangheili was fine right were he was.

"Armor-piercing sniper round hit a Marine and continued on into her body. The rounds were poisoned." Vora told the Chief.

"There is not much I can do here." The medic put away the biofoam he had used. "I can do more back on the base. I do not want her passing out. Take her helmet off and make sure she stays conscious."

Not knowing how the release mechanism worked, Vora allowed John to reach over an lift Jess' helmet off and set it next to Vora's knee.

Jess blinked and turned her head when the summer sun assaulted her bare eyes. Vora's knuckle brushed her cheek and turned her head to face him.

"The medic said you need to stay conscious. He will be able to do more when we get to the UNSC base." Vora told her.

She noticed John off to the Zealot's side. She looked up at him.

"Insurrectionists. The officials, Keyes, and the Ship Master need to be escorted…" She paused to catch her breath. "Escorted to the base now. There is no telling who is going to come looking when the Innie squad does not report." She titled her head back so she could better see John's helmet

"That is being taken care of. Ship Master, I need you to go join the escort." John stood and waited for the alien to move. The medic stood as well and scampered off to go care for the other fallen soldiers.

"I will take care of the Demon first. She is under my command until returned to the Human ship." John looked over Vora than nodded his head in consent.

"Make it quick. We need to get out of here." John turned and headed over to Keyes before getting into a Warthog.

By now, all the wounded had been moved into transports and moving the dead was just completed. The convoy was just waiting on the figureheads of the groups to be ready to depart.

HIs attention was puled back to the woman before him as she began to move. She placed her hands on the ground and slowly worked herself into a sitting position.

"Take it easy." Vora guided. He went to wrap an arm around her to carry her to the transport, but the Demon stopped him short. She turned her slightly clouded dark blue eyes to him.

"Let me walk." He rose and she wobbled to her feet, helmet in hand.

"At least let me _help _you walk." The Zealot insisted.

"Fine." She took an unsteady step towards him and allowed Vora to drape his arm under her arms and lean some of her weight against him. The pair hobbled over to the awaiting transport. Vora climbed in then reached down to help haul the Demon in with him.

Jess sat heavily in the crash seat next to the Ship Master and attempted to put her helmet back on.

"No." 'Ledum caught her wrist and held on when she tried t yank her arm away. "I need to be able to see that you have not succumbed to sleep. Leave your helmet off." He instructed.

Jess sighed and lazily brushed dark blonde curls out of her face. Then looked at the Elite, waiting for him to release the wrist he was holding captive. A few Humans and Elites whom she didn't recognize piled into the transport, then Vora let her arm go.

The transport rumbled to life and sped off in the direction of the base.

**HUMAN BASE-14:00 HOURS**

Jess adjusted her armor and looked over at the tiny doctor standing near her.

"You are free to go." The small woman said before exiting the med bay room.

Jess hated the med bay, but she felt much better after this visit. The bullet had been roomed, the poison flushed from her system, and the hole sutured shut. In the meantime, her armor had been repaired to the best of the small bases ability and cleansed of the multi-colored blood patterning the plates.

Jess exited the sterile room and made her way towards the brig. She was to meet John and Vora there to begin questioning the two Insurrectionists.

As she stepped through the gun metal grey doors, she spotted the dirtied gold armor of the Ship Master and the green of the Master Chief.

"Good to see you on your feet again, Jessie." The pale super-human greeted her.

"It is nice to be back on my feet too." Jess addressed Vora next. "And I must thank you for your quick and decisive action out there." Her 'your welcome' was received through a deep gaze from the towering alien and a silent head nod.

"We are going to start with the old man." John motioned to the one-way mirror. Sitting in the room was the older Innie.

"I will take him." Jessie stated.

"I wish to as well." Vora said. According to his quick conversation with Janu, this man was more than likely the Human who had shot the Marine and Demon. He wanted to be part of his questioning.

"Have at it, you two. Just keep him alive." John looked pointedly at Jessie since one of the doctors had already needed to set his dislocated shoulder.

Jessie, followed by her alien companion, entered the interrogation room.

"Great. It's you." The old man sneered.

"Expecting someone else?" Jessie quirked an eyebrow at the man. She saw his eyes run over her exposed face. Not expecting a pale Human woman under all the armor and tough exterior. Like many Humans, he did not _know_ or _believe _that the Spartans were real Human beings.

"Nah. Just thought I get a more decent person to talk too. If I can even call you a Human, Spartan."

"And here I thought I would be the one throwing the insults." Jess eyed the man. His hands were handcuffed on his lap and he was sitting on a metal chair facing the metal table.

Vora crossed his arms over his chest and moved to stand by the corner of the table.

"You are not in a position to get terse with us, _Human_." Vora practically sneered the last word.

The man glared at the intimidating alien. "Who invited you, _ugly_?" He shot back.

"Between the two of us, I would be more worried about him." Jess replied, not amused by the man's attics of using low and lame insults.

The man kicked his chair back on the two back legs and looked up at the woman. "So, what do you want to know?"

"So willing to give answers?" Jess placed a hand on her hip.

"Only if you ask the right questions." The man smirked.

"Our questions will be the right questions whether you like them or not." Vora barked.

"I wasn't talkin' to you, split-lip. I was addressin' the lady." The aged man grinned.

"Enough of your games!" Vora faced the table and slammed his hands down palm first, making a heavy slapping sound on the metal.

The man looked taken aback by the Ship Master's sudden outburst.

"Who sent you?" Vora 'Ledum asked in a low, slow voice. The man opened his mouth, then paused to think.

"You may hold a high rank gauging your armor and important to your little ET friends, but I refuse to answer any questions asked by you." He then fell silent.

"I would be more than happy to oblige you and take over the questioning." Jess sauntered behind the man and moved so she was just in his peripherals.

Vora tired again. "Who sent you?" His voice was just as low and deep as before.

The man just shook his head no.

Jessie placed a firm hand on his bicep. The arm she had wrenched out of its socket hours earlier.

"Let's try again." She said.

"Who sent you?" Vora's fingered flexed on the tabletop.

The man stayed quiet. Jessie's grip tightened with every second he did not answer.

"I don't know." said the man.

"Wrong answer." Jessie began to slowly pull his arm down and out.

"I never met them! I don't know!" Pain lanced through his sore shoulder.

"Wrong!" She yelled. Vora watched as the Demon once again dislocated the man's shoulder. The man cried out and tried to pull away from the Spartan's grasp. His arm hung at an awkward angle and the cuffs bit into his wrist. "Who sent you!" she repeated before 'Ledum could.

"The Insurrectionist Leader!" He shouted. Shying away from Jessie as she walked around the table to join Vora. The Sangheili straightened up to his full 8' 7" and glared down at the pathetic Human.

"Who was your target?" Vora questioned. He slowly walked towards the seated man and stopped at his right side. Waiting for his answer.

The man stayed silent, weighing his options. When 'Ledum dropped and arm from their crossed position, the man replied, "You. You, the Commander, the arriving Captain. Any of the Spartans would have been a bonus."

"Very good." 'Ledum did not leave his place near the now scared looking man.

"How did you know of our arrival?" Jessie interrogated.

"More questions?" The man rolled his eyes. He seemed to regain some of his bravado from earlier.

"I won't hesitate to dislocate your other arm if that is what it takes." She said coldly.

"I read minds. That's how I knew the Captain, you, and your alien friend were coming."

"Your younger counterpart would be much happier to oblige us." Jess commented.

"Infuriating little Human." Vora growled as he grabbed the man by the collar of his uniform and hoisted him up into the air. He cried out as he was suddenly jerked into the air by the neck of his shirt. "Answer her question." Vora's face was right in the man's face so he barely had to raise his voice.

"Hackers…We-we…uh…have…bee-en monitoring communi-communications in the system." The man's voice shook as he was forced to stare into the indifferent eyes of the Ship Master.

Once he had his answer, 'Ledum tossed the man to the ground. Not caring how or where he landed. The thunk of flesh hitting metal and his shout of pain was enough to tell the alien that the man hit the chair on the way down and landed on his arm.

The aged man curled into the fetal position trying to nurse the dislocated arm he was laying on.

"Let's see if you can answer this last question without making it difficult." Jessie crouched by the man and rolled him onto his back.

"Are there anymore attacks planned?" He looked from Jessie to Vora and back to Jessie.

"I don't know. I'm just the gun they send out. I don't know any missions besides the ones I'm on." He answered. Jessie grabbed the man's uninjured arm and hauled him up then placed him in his seat. She then motioned for Vora to follow her as she was let out of the room.

The pair then entered the observation room the one-way mirror hid.

John stood up from the chair he had been sitting in and set the datapad in his hand down on a table along the wall.

"You two should work as an interrogation team more often." John commented.

"The man was an ass. Did Niro and S'rin have an easier time with the other Innie?" asked Jess.

"Ask them yourself." John pointed to the door just as S'rin and Niro walked in, looking rather pleased with themselves.

"It was a breeze. The youngster was scared witless just by the fact that we were not Humans." S'rin remarked.

"How did it go for you? Not too well, it seems." Niro asked as he peered around John into the adjoining interrogation room.

"We had to rough him up a bit." Jess shrugged her shoulders. "Vora was quite convincing."

"This information is valuable. We will have to heighten base security one the dignitaries begin to arrive. We do not want another surprised attack."

"The group is working out of one of the civilian sectors in the area." Niro reported.

"Yes, we should investigate their operations base if these 'Innies' as you call them still pose a treat." S'rin said.

"I concur. This meeting with the Humans is too important to allow Human rebels to interrupt." Stated Vora.

"If there is a known Insurrectionist Leader on this planet, it would dictate swift action. Especially if the Leader is active." Said Jess.

"I will speak with Captain Keyes. This may not be over yet. It may be difficult to obtain permission to attack the Insurrectionists if they are operating out of a civilian community. The brass will want to avoid civilian deaths and military action in a civilian sector." Explained the Master Chief.

"Then it is decided. We will wait for permission from the Human leaders before we take any further action. Tell your brass that I wish to be included in their decision. I will _not_ be left out, I have as much right as they do to be 'running this show' as you Humans says." 'Ledum told Chief.

"Will do, Ship Master." With that, John picked up his datapad and the recordings of the two interrogations before leaving the room to find his superiors.

"We will go find Janu and the rest of our party and alert them of the situation." S'rin exited the room followed closely by Niro.

Ship Master 'Ledum cast a glance through the one-way mirror to the sniveling Human he and the she-Demon had dealt with. Jessie had acted as rough with the Human man as he might have thought a Demon would act with a Covenant prisoner of war. He turned back to the woman with him.

"I meant to ask you earlier, how are you feeling?" Jessie's blue eyes looked at him.

"I feel fine. I am very used to getting injured. The Spartan body was built to withstand injuries that would kill or cripple a normal Human being." She responded.

"I am surprised the Human doctor let you out of the med bay so soon. The woman told me you had some form of a biological weapon in your system. She was surprised you lasted so long."

"You are the one who brought me to the medical center?" When Vora nodded his head she continued. "I do not remember."

"When we neared the base you started to become unresponsive. It took a lot on my part to keep you awake. I brought you to the medical bay as soon as we reached the base. The female doctor finally shooed me away about the time you came to." Vora filled Jess in.

She thought for a moment, remembering all she could about her visit to the docotr's lair.

"It was you who was there?" She remembered a pressure on her forearm the whole time. She thought it had been the doctor or some equipment strapped to her.

Vora 'Ledum nearly looked sheepish when he responded. "Yes. It was me. The female doctor went into a tizzy when I would not leave."

Jessie did not know how to respond. It was almost touching that he had stayed by her side from the moment she collapsed to when she was released from the med bay.

"I guess a thank you is in order. I am glad I had someone responsible enough to look out for me when I was in the bio weapon's haze." Jess smiled at Vora and gave him a slight nod. The alien in question seemed to stand a little taller and raise his head.

"You are welcome, Demon." His mandibles splayed in his version of a smile.

"I have told you before. Call me Jessie sometime. I am not always Demon." She scolded, smile still on her lips.

"Only if you will call me Vora. Enough individuals call me Ship Master. It would be nice to hear my given name again."

Jessie held out her hand in a sign of agreement. When Vora shook her hand, she said, "So be it, Vora."

"I agree, Jessie." The two were absorbed in their conversation that when the door creaked behind Vora, he kicked into action. Battle instincts on alert, he pulled Jess behind him by their still clasped hands, swung around to face the intruder, and reached for his rifle.

He heard Jessie voice her protest, but he did not move from his guarding position in front of her or release her hand from his tight grip. Large, four-fingered hand wrapped gingerly around her smaller five-fingered hand.

Vora saw the other she-Demon at the door, looking mighty startled by the Elite.

"Vora, it is alright." Jess placed her other hand against his back and stepped out from behind him, motioning for him to holster his Plasma Rifle with the hand the Elite eventually had let go of.

"I did not know who it was." Vora mentally shook his head at how poor his excuse sounded.

"What do you need, Tiffany?" She asked the other woman.

"I came in here looking for one of interrogation reports. I need nothing from you." Tiffany pushed past Jessie and approached the table.

"You should have questioned one of the prisoners. You need to learn the valuable skill of interrogation." Jess took two steps after the smaller woman.

"I will leave the bullying to the likes of you." Tiffany snapped in her usual tone towards Jessie.

The Zealot stepped forward and approached the other Demon. "Do you not know how to talk to your teammate respectfully?" He scolded and questioned.

"I am doing nothing wrong, Ship Master. And any business between me and her has nothing to do with you." Tiffany sidestepped farther down the length of the table, still searching for the datapad and trying to ignore the large vexed alien.

"It is of my concern. Jessie is under my protection as a member of my ship until she is returned to the custody of Humans. Learn your place or I will do it for you." He growled.

Tiffany blanched at the Elite's use of Jessie's name. First names were very personal among Humans and Spartans. Letting an alien, especially an Elite address you on such a personal, intimate level was out of the question.

"You needn't worry about her being under your command much longer." Tiffany found the pad she was after and promptly fled the room. Leaving behind a slightly shocked Jessie and a vexed Vora.

"Ignore her. It is what works best for me." Jessie told him.

"I do not permit such disrespect among soldiers. Seeing it on such a personal level is shameful." Vora 'Ledum turned back to Jessie.

"Well, it is very common among Humans. We are a species that has enough problems just trying to get along among ourselves. The tension between Tiffany and I is an example."

"I do not like the way she treats you." He admitted.

"Neither do I, but there is not much I can do about it. It won't change unless one of us gets a squad change, dies, or the war ends."

"Do not talk like that. You will not be dying anytime soon."

"I very well could have today."

"But I made sure you did not."

"Touche."

"I could not allow you to die."

Jess smiled at his comment. "I am going to go to the firing range. Would you like to come?"

"Yes. Maybe you could show me how some of your Human weapons work."

"As long as you show me your close quarters skills. Remember what you said back on the _**Autumn**_?"

"That I do. Sparring sounds much more interesting. Care to meet me on the mat in half an hour?"

"See you then."

**HUMAN BASE-16:30 HOURS**

The base had its' own recreation building. The sparring rings and mats were cordoned off in their own individual rooms. Jessie entered the first one to see Vora warming up. The Elite had removed his armor and was clad only in his bodysuit. Jessie was in a pair of light pants, a _UNSC_ shirt and combat boots.

Vora looked up when he heard the woman enter.

"Ready to begin?" He approached her slowly.

She could see the predatory waltz in his gate. He was keyed up and ready to fight.

"Yes." She moved to her left, beginning to circle him rather than the head on approach he had selected.

'Ledum eyes followed her as she moved, looking for a pattern and soon calculating the move she would make next. All his years in the military and more predatory nature honing his senses.

As he predicted her next move, he attacked. He swiftly approached her and punched at her abdomen. She blocked his punch with her right forearm and retaliated with her left fist.

Jessie made to punch his neck, but Vora successfully blocked. He took a step forward and forced Jessie back. If she wanted to make a decent hit, she had to increase the distance between the two of them so she could maneuver.

Jessie back stepped then threw her body at Vora. He dodged her jump and she rolled on the mat, came up in a crouch, then shot to her feet again. While she was still turning to face him again, Vora's fist connected with her shoulder and his hoof pushed her thigh forward, forcing her to her knees.

As he came forward, she rolled underneath him and punched his knees. His step faltered and she stood behind him. They both turned and faced on another at the same time.

Jessie swung at his long neck. Vora blocked her attack and retaliated with a swift punch to the gut. She absorbed the blow then spun on her heel, propelling her other foot into his neck. When he stumbled back she said, "You are holding back. Take the gloves off. I know you can fight better than that."

"As you wish." Ship Master 'Ledum tugged the sleeves of his bodysuit off so his arms up to his elbow were exposed. "You know a Sangheili's talons are part of our natural defenses?" He lifted one hand as an example. Flexing his four fingers and showing her the fine pointed talons that extended off each finger. They were not extremely long or sharp, but they could do damage to a Human's soft flesh.

"An equal fight then." She taunted. Vora produced a low growl and returned to the spar.

The pair exchanged punch after punch. Rotating through being on the defensive and the offensive. Their arms and legs swinging forward in a practiced dance.

Jessie kicked and punched Vora and he kicked and punched her. Vora 'Ledum suddenly swiped Jessie's legs out from under her. As she lost her balance, she punched up and caught the Zealot in the stomach. He grunted and kicked at her.

She tucked and rose to her feet when he grabbed her. She pushed off the mat and forced both of them to crash into the mat. They struggled for dominance when Vora caught Jess around the waist and flipped her underneath him. She punched at his mandibles and face, but his hands caught hers and forced them into the mat above her head.

"I win." Vora panted above her.

"Not by much." She smirked as she responded.

"I am still the victor." His mandibles quivered. He suddenly became very aware of their position on the mat and Jessie's lack of a reaction. His body was settled on top of her. His legs and torso pinning her to the mat as his hands held her wrists down. He could see the faint pink lined his claws had left upon her skin the marks her dull nails had left on him as well. His mandibles fluttered again as he looked down at her.

"Not anymore." Jess thrust her hips up and attempted to roll them over so Vora was the one pinned to the mat, but 'Ledum pushed his larger mass down on her and forced her back down on the mat.

"That did not work out very well, did it?" He smirked above her.

"Asshole." Jessie murmured.

"No need for name calling." Vora lowered his head a bit, inhaling her natural scent. How he was acting like an excitable youngling right now!

"All I need is a good distraction." Vora raised an eyebrow ridge in question. Giving Jessie the distraction she needed.

Next thing the Ship Master knew, his back slammed into the mat and Jessie was straddling him; her knees pressed into his sides to keep him down. She leaned over him and pressed his wrists into to the floor.

"Who's the winner now?" Jess looked down at Vora's face, shocked at the quick change in position.

"I can still fight back." He lifted his long neck and head to tap her chin with the crown of his head. "You don't have any way to counter being pinned."

"I just did, didn't I?" Vora brought his head up to hit her chin as his answer to her remark. He bumped hie head forcefully into her chin until she was forced to lift her head out of the way, exposing her neck to him.

The Zealot tried to repress a shudder at the sight. In Sangheilian culture, a female exposing her neck to a male was an extremely intimate and submissive action. He leaned forward and lightly skimmed his mandibles along her collar bone and emitted a small, husky bark to make her lower her head and return her attention to him.

"Are you alright?" Her voice was low and quiet. Vora could visibly see goosebumps form where he had brushed his mandibles against her skin. He let out a soft rumble at the sight.

"Do you know what you just did?" voice deep and throaty.

Jessie looked down at him confused. "No."

Vora let out a soft sigh. "How do I say this?" He paused. "In Sangheilian culture, when a female exposes her neck to a male, in the same fashion you did to me, it is considered a very intimate and submissive action. Especially between mates."

"Oh." A light pink color danced across the bridge of her nose and cheeks. "I am sorry. I did not know." She spluttered.

Vora gave a faint chuckle. "I did not mind." He watched as Jess' eyes widened and she stared down at him. He lifted his neck and batted her chin with his head again. She did not move her head away. "Won't move now, will you?" He taunted.

"I do not know if I should." She mumbled.

"Easy enough to fix." Vora's mandibles moved to Jessie's chin and cheek. He gently brushed them against her cheekbone and chin. Sliding his mandible and teeth back and forth on the smooth skin. He drug his mandibles down the length of her cheek and nibbled at the soft skin. Vora nipped at the warm skin directly over her pulse. He could feel it quicken in response to his ministrations and he emitted a satisfied purr. When Vora's tongue lightly licked her pulse, she finally moved her head to expose her neck in full to him. Vora growled possessively when Jessie let out a soft gasp and his mandibles nipped their way down her neck in appreciation of the gentle sound she vocalized for him.

Now he really was actin like an excitable, _hormonal_ youngling!

He removed his mandibles from her neck and looked up at her. Vora's orange-copper eyes were half drooped as he looked up at her. When she lowered her head to gaze back at him, her dark blue eyes were in the same condition.

"I say I still hold the advantage." Vora murmured.

"For now." Jess said in a defiant tone that was not reflected in her body language.

"Your body does not seem to think so." Vora indicated her loosened grip on his wrists, legs tightly pressed into his hips, and flushed face.

"Shut up." Jessie grinned down at him. "You may have won this round, but I will want a rematch." She then removed herself from straddling his hips and offered a hand to help him up.

Vora excepted her outstretched hand and Jess pulled him up. "Then we will have a rematch one of these days."

Vora snatched up his gloves and began to slide them over his hands. "Why did you not _react_ as you normally do? If you do not mind me asking." Her already flushed face, turned slighter pink color. Vora's mandibles flared in a smirk and in curiosity.

Jessie rubbed the back of her neck. "I am fine when I fight. And for the most recent circumstance, I was-uh, caught up in the moment." Jessie answered.

"Fair enough. I am sorry to inform you that I must go. I have a meeting very soon. I bid you well." As Vora passed, he allowed his gloved fingers to gentle trace over her shoulder and down her arm. Once again, she did not react to his touch.

Was it only _Human_ touch that bothered her?

**HUMAN BASE-17:20 HOURS**

Jessie looked into the mirror in her quarters on the base. She had faint pink scratch marks running down her arms and faint pink lines tracing the contours of her neck. She looked like she had gotten into a fight with a tree, and lost.

But she knew not _where_ those marks had come from, but _who _the marks had come from.

Jess hoped Niro, Janu, and S'rin, or any of the other Sangheili for that matter, noticed the marks. If they did, they would more than likely know how they came to grace her pale body. Maybe not know that exact someone, but know it was a Sangheili none the less.

She placed a finger over the worst of the marks. It was a red suckle mark right over her pulse on her neck. When she had unwillingly let out a gasp when Vora had passed over her pulse, he made sure to pay extra attention to the spot.

Normally, she was supposed to report any fraternization or unwanted advances to her superiors. During her entire encounter with Vora, that never came to her mind.

**HUMAN BASE-18:30 HOURS**

Ship Master Vora 'Ledum paced down the long halls of the base as he left his meeting. Thoughts running through his mind. The one that constantly pushed to the forefront of his mind was his encounter with Jessie.

It had been a long time since Vora had been around a female. He had never taken a mate while on Sanghelios and most of his past relationships had been short due to his undying devotion to the military.

His mind wandered back to the moment when he had her pinned under him and the complete dominance that had flowed through his veins. And when she had exposed her neck to him and he had taken advantage of the unprotected flesh.

He had quiet enjoyed himself.

Vora also thought about the end of the little encounter. His pheromone levels had jumped during the encounter. Jessie's close proximity to his body and the length of time she had spent with him had surrounded her with his scent.

Any Sangheili who would go near Jessie wold easily be able to smell him on her. A subliminal claim on the female and a mark to all other males telling them that the female was of interest to another male and if he wanted the female, he would have to go through the male who's scent clung to her body. It was not Vora's claiming scent he would use on a mate, but more of a challenging scent. One to alert other males of his presence in the female's life.

He felt prideful thinking that his scent clung to the strong Demon's body. Vora's mandibles flared at the thought of the reactions he would get out of his ground party. The Sangheili would be astounded of the smell on the Human. Only Janu, Niro, or S'rin would have the audacity to approach the Ship Master.

Vora continued down the hall, mind occupied by personal thoughts.

**Please leave a review!**

**-Masterful-Mind**


	21. Innocence

_A Spartan's War_

A/N: It has been forever since I have updated! Sorry for the delay, but life happens fast and my writing has been on the back burner. New chapters should start to pick up as my time frees up and my inspiration returns. I have also been looking through old chapters and I have come to the decision that, yes, I may have plenty of OCs and characters, but the focus will be mainly on the main characters with others woven in; so in other words not all characters will make an appearance all the time. Please read and review!

_**Thanks to the reviewers: Scout Neon Templar, Anonymous, and Tomking**_

**Chapter 21: Innocence**

**PLANET SURFACE-16:00 HOURS**

The slight rise and fall of her chest behind armor was the only sign of life in the armored Spartan. Jessie stood stock still as she surveyed the ridge she now stood upon, weapon held loosely in her hands and her HUD running diagnostics. Below her lay a small Human community, dull grey buildings dotting the hillside and ant-like forms of people and transports going about their business. Since the initial attack when the Human and alien parties had arrived, security and patrols had been double. Hence, Jessie doing her role of scouting. As a Spartan, she had distinct advantages to being assigned to watch the city for suspicious activity.

The bright yellow sun was briefly obscured as a patch of heavy clouds passed over; momentarily pulling the warrior's attention to the sky. The clock display on her HUD flashed three times, indicating the end of her patrol duty and small text readouts were removed from her vision, filing away possible coordinates of safehouses and patterns of travel by suspected people. She had yet to venture into the community since her armor and armed appearance would draw too much unwanted attention from the city dwellers.

Having watched life in the city for close to a week, Jessie reflected on the prospect of normal life. It seemed so mundane leaving one's home to work for hours then return home to eat and sleep, then repeat the process for five days before two days of rest. She was used to the unpredictability and danger of her career. Adrenaline filled 'work hours' and very tough customers compared to ones encountered at a retailer shop she had monitored.

The buildings below cast long shadows as thick storm clouds rolled in, puffs of deep grey clawing over each other and finally obscuring the evening sun.

_"Better return to base before the storm hits."_ Jessie collapsed the scope on her sniper rifle and returned it to the magnetic holster on her back. She then gave the city one last critical glance then turned in the direction of the base. What she didn't expect to see was a little dirtied child staring up at her. The boy looked to be about 7 years of age and was dressed in nondescript clothing. His face was dirtied as well as his hands and the front of his shirt. He started up at the soldier with a blank face and clasped hands.

The super-soldier froze, unsure of the situation. The child obviously was from the city, how long had he been standing there? How had she not heard him or noticed him behind her?

"You've been standing here for a while." The boy's green eyes darted around Jessie's golden visor, unsure where to lay his gaze.

"You need to return home, boy. I'm sure your parents are worried about you." Jessie resounded.

"Are you here to stop the bad men?" His gaze finally settled on the middle of her helmet.

Jessie looked down at the small boy. It was obvious he was from a lower class, whatever system this community had. She couldn't answer all of his question since it would give away her anonymity in surveying the city for more potential rebel strongholds.

"I know you are. Why else would you have a gun and armor? Are you a Spartan? I've only heard stories about them. Super-soldiers that never die. That means you can help us, please do-" While the kid launched into a curious string of questions and comments, Jessie pressed two fingers to the right side of her helmet, activating her comm.

"Chief? It's Jessie and I have a slight situation."

"**What is it?" **She could hear the slight breathlessness in his voice hinting at him returning from his own long patrol.

"I have a child from the city with me. He, he managed to sneak up behind me and he has pretty much figured out what I'm here for."

**"Are there any other children? His parents or rebels using him as a distraction?"**

"No. Just the boy and I."

**"If he is alone, bring him in. We don't want any loose ends and he has the potential to serve as eyes on the inside since you can't enter the city limits."**

"Will do, Chief. Jessie out." The female Spartan carefully kneeled down on one knee in front of the boy.

"Are your parents around?" She asked gently.

"No-my parents…I'm an orphan." He stated. Accepting of the fact he was on his own.

"What are you doing up here?" She questioned.

"I noticed you a few days ago when I was playing outside. So, I guess I decided to come closer." His shoulders rose and fell in a small shrug.

"That wasn't safe. You don't know who I am or if I would harm you," She calmly admonished. "I need you to return to my base with me, would you like that? We can get you fed and all cleaned up."

His green eyes sparkled and he bobbed his head in vigorous agreement. Then, the boy stretched his hands up towards Jessie, arms outstretched. Instinctually recognizing the sign, she stood then gripped the child under his arms. She lifted him and balanced him on one armored hip, arms cradling his back. Normally, at boy his age would not be an easy burden to carry, but the size difference in a Spartan made the task simple.

"My name is Peter." He stated quietly as he inspected the side of her helmet.

"I'm Jessie, nice to meet you Peter."

"You too." He placed his hands on her shoulder and settled his chin on top, content to wait out the walk back to base.

**PLANET SURFACE-17:45 HOURS**

Jessie set the pistol down on the table of her shooting station. Her mind wandered back to Peter and her earlier encounter with the small boy. Sometime during the journey back to base, he had fallen asleep in the Spartan's arms. She had gone to her room and tucked Peter into her bed, all the way insisting to the Chief not to wake the boy and they could talk to him _after _he had awoken, eaten, and been cleaned up.

A slight smirk crossed her covered face as she thought he was much nicer than the first locals they had met days before. She loaded another clip into the pistol and readied another target in the indoor shooting range; the pouring rain barring her from the outdoor test range unless she wanted to get rained on more than she had already that day.

Jessie squeezed off three shots before she sensed another body in the room, unlike her encounter with Peter. She disengaged the shooting aid on her HUD and peered over her shoulder to ID the individual.

Vora stood a few feet behind her, carbine in hand.

"Thought I'd get some practice." Lifting his arm to emphasize the sleek weapon.

"I can tell." Jessie reengaged her HUD and brought the pistol back up to bear, placing a bullseye shot.

Vora fluttered his mandibles and moved over to the station to her right. As he moved past the super-soldier, his nostrils flared and he picked up an unexpected scent from the female. His eyebrow ridges knitted together and he faced Jessie.

Out of her peripherals she saw Vora, so she turned and said, "Something the matter?"

"I-child. I smell the scent of a child on you." His eyed were clouded and head tilted slightly to the right.

"Ah, yes. Interesting story actually. A small boy snuck up on me while I was on patrol and the Chief had me bring him back to base. I carried him, so that's why you can smell him." She watched the Shipmaster process the information.

"It was unexpected and rather welco - never mind. Where is the boy?"

"He is asleep in my room. I had to make sure the Chief wouldn't bother him until he was ready." Vora didn't say anything in response nor did he turn back to his gun. "I was about to go check on him if you would like to join me."

"May I? I have seen so few Human offspring in my lifetime." Vora stepped out of the shooting box and nearer that of Jessie's.

"Of course you can. But he probably has never seen anything but Humans, so you may want to be cautious." She gathered her weapons as did Vora before returning them to the shooting range armory.

**PLANET SURFACE-18:30 HOURS**

Jessie paused at her door before opening it and slowly stepping in, motioning for Vora to do the same.

The lights were dimmed but not off, as Peter claimed to have a slight fear of the dark as all children do. The bed was rumpled in the shape of a small nest created out of the Spartan's blankets, but there was no sleeping boy to be found. Jessie's head turned to look at the bathroom door as the sink turned off and the door opened.

Peter moved out of the smaller room and immediately looked at the woman, "I wanted to wash my hands."

"That is fine, Peter. I just came in to check on you." Jess watched as Peter peered around her to look at the massive alien hovering near her shoulder. "This is Shipmater Vora 'Ledum, Peter. He is an ally of the Humans and a companion of mine." She introduced the Sangheili.

Peter stared wide eyed and said nothing before moving forward a bit. As he drew near, Jessie kneeled down. Peter stood with Jess' kneeling form and pressed himself against her and steadied his hands on her knees so he could peer around to Vora with the Spartan's body between them.

Vora gave them a bit more distance before kneeling down himself, "I will not hurt you, child. Do not fear me." Peter looked up to Jessie, questioning. She gave his back a small encouraging push and the boy moved to walk over to the alien.

'Ledum stretched out his arms to bring the boy nearer, inspecting him as much as the child was the alien.

Peter looked at the much larger alien in amazement. His unarmored body was muscular but much softer in comparison to the hard MJOLNIR armor Jessie was encased in. His green eyes watched the alien's reptilian like eyes as they searched his face. Nervously, he raised a small hand to the fluttering mandibles on Vora's face. They stilled as small fingers lightly tapped then wrapped around a lower mandible. Vora stilled and watched the child's curiosity get the best of him as he explore the contours of a face obviously alien from his own.

When Peter removed his hand from his face, the Zealot brought the boy up to rest on his knee. The child looked like a tiny Human as all offspring look like, Sangheili included. He was curious and seemed to have this spark of intelligence beyond his young years. As he watched the child he seemed to have created a quick bond with the woman kneeling in front of the pair.

Peter swiveled on Vora's leg to face Jessie, "Do you always wear that helmet?"

Jessie answered, "Not all the time, but my job requires me to wear it a lot." She pressed the releases and slid the helmet over her head. "Peter, why don't we go get you fed and washed up?" Peter nodded his head in vigorous agreement as Vora stood up with the child still in his arms. He squirmed to be put down and as soon as his feet his the floor he plucked something off the bed and stuffed it into the pocket of his over-sized pants.

"Ready." He responded.

**PLANET SURFACE-19:00 HOURS**

Vora and Jessie waited in the locker room as the now full boy cleaned himself up in the showers. Vora leaned against the row of lockers as Jessie sat on one of the Spartan-reinforced benches, helmet balanced on her knee.

"You seemed like a natural with Peter. You have any kids?" Jessie asked. Vora gave a small sigh before answering.

"I have no children of my own, but I have played a role in raising my brother's children. Two sons; one is just beginning his service in the military and the other is still small and at home with his mother." He closed his eyes for a moment at the memory of his lost brother.

"I am sure you were a good figure to the boys." Jessie responded, easily noticing the sensitive matter of the subject.

"It is a shame their father wasn't the one to raise them, but I did enjoy my time with them. Peter is about the same age as the youngest one." Vora commented, thinking of the small Human.

"If you don't mind me asking, why do you not have children of your own? You are a successful Shipmaster and are respected among your ranks."

"I have never had the time or found the right female. One does not become a Shipmaster of a carrier such as the _**Triumphant Declaration **_chasing women. If I found the right mate and time I would sire offspring, but I would want to be home to raise them, not fighting a war. Yes, we find honor in the military, but I would not want to die and forever leave a mate and kit alone." 'Ledum explained.

"That makes sense. Sounds like you've put a lot of thought into it." Jessie nodded her head a bit as she watched the Shipmaster. Vora looked down at Jessie and asked,

"What about you?"

"I do not know. The Spartan project places restrictions on things, and that is one I have never considered. This is what I have known my whole life. This war with the Covenant is my life, the reason I am the way I am. We were all Peter's age when we were conscripted into the program, it's hard to think about things like children when all I know is war and am part of a war with no near end. I am a solider, what I'm supposed to be." She rubbed the back of her neck and ran her fingers under the high neck gaiter of her armor. 'Ledum observed the slight nervousness of her expression.

"This war will end, you'll have a chance to know something other than war-" Vora quieted as his keen eyes watched two marines scurry past, destination the showers.

"This war is far from over, but I do not know what the UNSC has in store for Spartans. We are more than career soldiers, can we even adapt to normal life?" She shook her head, curls lightly slapping her cheek.

The conversation was about to continue when a soaking wet Peter appeared in a too large white towel. He looked from the Spartan to the Shipmaster, "I'm finished with my shower."

"Alright, let's get you dressed and then get you something to eat." Jess stood and retrieved the boy's clothing from her locker; he promptly dressed with the offer of food.

**PLANET SURFACE-19:30 HOURS**

Peter sat scores the table from Vora and Jessie, quickly spooning food into his mouth. With the boy occupied with eating, Jess turned her head slightly to Vora,

"You don't have to be here. I'm sure you have something better to be doing."

"I would rather spend my free time with you and Peter than review meeting notes in my room. One can only stand Human diplomats for so long." He murmured back, mandibles tight against his face, orange-copper eyes catching the slight pink across her cheeks.

"If you feel as such. I have to take him to see John soon. I do not know if it would be best for you to tag along."

"I see no problem with it." Vora titled his head and adjusted the way he was sitting. Peter watched the two of them converse, extremely interested in the tall, heavily armored woman and the unique, powerful alien.

"Alright. How have the meeting been going, any progress?"

"You Humans can be very thick headed. I have convinced some leaders of our means, but many still insist we are lying alien scum."

"Yes, Humans can be like that especially diplomats." She shook her head briefly. "Have you seen Janu? I have patrol with him tonight and I haven't seen him all day." She asked Vora while she checked on Peter.

"He has been exercising in the gym last I heard. He shouldn't be hard to find. If not, ask S'rin, he will know." 'Ledum watched Peter shovel the last bite of food into his mouth and set down his utensil.

"Peter, I need to take you to see my team leader, he has a few questions for you." The party of three slid out of the booth then began to make their way to the interrogation rooms and holding cells.

As they walked down the hall, Peter slid his hand into Jess', giving a nervous squeeze. She gripped his hand back and gave him a reassuring smile.

When they reached the door, a helmet-less John met them. He was standing behind a table with a thin layer of paperwork and a computer. The two captured rebels were each seated in a room visible through the two-way mirror.

"Chief, this is the boy I mentioned when on scout duty." John stood and approached the child next to Jess' leg.

"I am John, I have a few questions for you." He extended his gloved hand and gave Peter's a light shake in greeting.

"Ok."

"How long have you lived in the city on this planet?" John questioned.

"My whole life." He answered.

"And have you noticed anything new or different recently?"

"Why?" The boy countered with a question.

"You see those two men?" John motioned to the figures beyond the glass. "They are part of group that poses a threat to the city you live in and the soldiers of this base." Peter gazed at the two men then the soldiers behind him, his face scrunched in thought.

"What does this have to do with me?"

"Kid's sharp." John mumbled to himself. "You are the first contact with anyone from the settlement a ways from here."

"There is an old warehouse near the edge of town that a lot of people have been going to. And there is a big building outside of town I heard some adults talking about."

As John and Peter conversed, Jess watched the young man through the mirror. He was shaking some and eyes darting around the room nervously. Jess' hand slowly settled over the pistol on her thigh, unease washing over her. She wished she had a rifle on her back, but all the had was the handgun on her thigh and the knife on her chest plate.

Vora sensed her apprehension, "What is the matter?"

"Something is not right." She murmured back. She wrapped her hand more securely around the weapon and strained her ears to hear anything unusual. The young man could not keep still and the older man was visibly sweating. Something was definitely off. "Go get your armor."

"Nothing is wrong."

"Just do it. I _know _something is not right, get your armor and a gun. You are going to need it." Vora nodded his head once, still not believing the Spartan and went to change into his armor.

A few minutes passed and when both rebel's pressed their hands to their ears, her suspicions were confirmed. Moments after, a deep thud and resonating boom traveled through the walls of the base. A few files fell from the table and the lights flickered.

"Shit!" John shoved his helmet on his head and yelled for a status report.

"Peter, climb under that table and do not move until I tell you to!" Jess pointed to a table in a small corner with only enough room for a small child. Another boom shook the building and the lights flickered, the moments without power lasting longer. Peter scrambled for the cover and peaked out once he was safe under the thick table.

Jess knelt by him, "Stay here and do not move or make a sound unless the Chief, Vora, or I come for you. Understand?"

"What's happening?" Peter shook a moment.

"We are under attack. Do you understand what I told you?"

"Yes. Please, don't go."

"I'll be in the other room, then I'll come right back." Jess pulled her pistol from her thigh before chambering a round and flicking off the safety. She then removed her helmet from the clip on her belt and secured it over her head.

Once more the room rattled and the lights finally gave out, plunging the room into deep darkness. The lights on Jessie's helmet snapped on and she turned to Peter once more, "Keep quiet." The lights casting a glow over part of her gold visor and dark black helmet. Peter put a finger to his lips then disappeared into the shadow under the table.

"Chief, I'll figure out what is going on; those two know something. You get out there and stop this damn show."

"Already on my way." John loaded his rifle before running out of the room.

Turning to the door that lead to one of the interrogation rooms, she opened the door and stepped through. When the dual beams of light from her helmet washed over the table and chair, the young man raised his hands to block his eyes.

"Start talking." She growled. The man said nothing and kept blocking his eyes from the light. "Alright, let's do it your way." she gripped the muzzle of the gun and swung the butt towards his head. The metal gun connected with a loud clipping noise and threw his head back. She grabbed a handful of hair and uniform and turned on him. "Tell me what you know!" She shouted.

He gapped in horror and babbled a bit before quieting. Jessie yanked his head back and pushed the handgun into the bottom of his jaw.

"I don't have all day and my patience are shorter than the time it'll take this bullet to reach your brain." Jess snarled.

"Don't shoot me! This was the plan from the start!" He tried to push the gun from his face, but removed his hands after a futile attempt. "We were to attack the landing parties and kill who we could. The Captain and Split-lip leader were priority one. Spartans and officers second."

"Continue." Jessie pushed him further into the metal chair.

"We knew you would send someone to the ridge, so we arranged to get a guy on the inside. Then, we would bomb the base and kill and take who we needed. You have collected quite the gathering of potential and important bargaining chips."

"Thank you for the information. You are no longer any use to me."

"No-!" She squeezed the trigger and the man slumped in her hands, blood spilling from the hole in his head. Jessie dropped the body and stormed out of the room.

She threw open the next door, "Look, I'll tell you what's going on-."

"No need. Your friend already talked." She leveled the handgun and shot the man point blank. He too slumped to the floor, blood pooling around his head. Grumbling in anger she went back into the main room.

Her headlamp revealed Vora racing into the room, "Damn attack was planned!" She said.

"It's a mess out there! I've got a heavy squad tailing me, get ready." His gold armor gleamed as he jumped towards her. A round of large explosives then went off. The wall exploded into chunks of debris that was propelled back along with the two warriors. Vora crashed into a cabinet set and Jessie was thrown to the ground.

He tossed a plasma grenade out of the new hole in the wall while Jessie scanned the dust filled air. The particulate made it difficult for the light to penetrate more than a few feet in front of her. "Where are they!" She murmured to herself.

'Ledum stood quickly and stalked to the gapping wall, Jessie staying back, knowing of the small boy cowering in the back of the room.

Suddenly, a squad of heavily armed and armored men rounded the corner and burst into the room. The Shipmaster kicked with his legs, knocking the first man down and started firing rapidly with his plasma rifle with the intent to gun them all down in a wall of hot plasma.

Jessie gripped her pistol and placed well aimed shots with the limited vision and ammo she knew she had. A man neared and she shot him twice in the chest and one to his helmeted head. The blood that flew into the air was contrasted with the heavy grey dust floating slowly in circles. Out of the corner of her eyes, she noticed Vora heavily engaged with part of the squad, but could not go to his aid as two men were making their way too far into the room for comfort.

Slamming her pistol back onto her thigh, she yanked her combat knife out of its' sheath and spun it in her grip until it faced outward. The two soldiers were too focused on Vora to see her coming. The first fell to slashed on his torso and a stab wound to the shoulder. The second raised his gun and smashed it with all his strength into Jessie's collar bone. Her shields chirped and she pushed the man to the ground. As he shot her at point blank, she shield snapped and died before she sank the blade into his neck, he died fighting and she yanked the bloody knife out of his body. She looked up to see Peter's form in the corner. Knees drawn up to his chest and tears steaming down his face.

"It is going to be alright. Just stay quiet, don't cry. It'll be alright." She reassured him. The fact she had fiercely stabbed a man in front of him didn't help, but there wasn't much else she could do.

Turning back to fight, she watched Vora fight with the Humans in darkness. The hot blue plasma periodically illuminating the small are around him. One hand shooting his rifle, he reached to his belt with the other. The bright blue blade of his Energy Sword made the soldiers jump away from him; knowing the deadly accuracy of such a weapon when in the right hands. Issuing a battle cry, Vora swung with sword with calculated and practiced movements. Slicing through the heavy air, he felled on man after another. Their cries sharp as sharp blade bit through their armor and burned their flesh.

Then, the room fell quiet.

"That was the last of them." Vora's breath was heavy with exertion, but he looked like he could go on for many a round. "What did they want?"

"You." Jess responded, flicking the wet blood off her knife.

"Me?"

"You or anyone else of any significance. If they can't kill you, they would take you captive. This was the plan from the start. The rebels would kill who they could and take others hostage in a dose of elaborate plans. They want to milk our militaries and government's with important hostages."

Shipmaster 'Ledum swore with Sangheili words Jessie could only guess at. "We must flush out the base then figure out what we plan to do about this pocket of rebels. They know we are here, the time for monitoring has passed and the time for a direct offensive has begun."

"I cannot go far, I have Peter to protect." She pointed to his hiding spot.

Vora 'Ledum gave a small growl as he surveyed the room then turned to the Spartan.

"You must go help fight. I will stay here and protect the boy." Jessie's helmeted head just looked at him, quiet.

"I better find the two of you alive when I get back."

"You have nothing to worry about. We will both be fine." The illuminated Energy Sword a hint of what the Sangheili could do to protect both himself and the boy entrusted in his care. "_You_ need to be safe and return in one piece. As much as you don't want to find us dead, I do not want to hear about you dying." The Zealot gave her shoulder a tight squeeze, one she returned before tapping her temple in quick acknowledgment before slipping out of the door to join the fray.

**And there you have it! Chapter 21! Please tell me what you think. As always, I am open to ideas. I don't want to go too fast or too slow, so I am starting to find my pace for the romance as well as figuring out the direction of the story. Please review and keep an eye out for chapter 22!**

**-Masterful-Min**


	22. Evocative

_A Spartan's War_

A/N: Please read and review! A bit of a heart-to-heart in this chapter, but I switched it up a bit. They always tend to be the man comforting the woman, so I switched the roles. Vora never let himself grieve over his brother's death, so he finally does now. I like the way it turned out. As always, review when you finish reading!

**Chapter 22: Evocative**

**PLANET SURFACE-20:45 HOURS**

"That was the last of them." Niro stood and kicked the body next to him. He raised his empty hands to show he found nothing of importance. "Best I could find was ammo."

Jess sighed heavily and finished patting the body she was hunched over. "No identification, no radios, nothing."

"It is obvious they don't want to be traced." Niro put away his weapon and walked over to the female Spartan.

"They would have at least placed false leads somehow. A map with wrong coordinates or a dummy comm system. It isn't their standard procedure to leave no hint of origin or motive." She mulled over the missing facts to the attack.

"I was just returning to the base when the attack started, I have no idea how they got past security. The base is cordoned off." Niro said.

"You saw the troops arrive? I know about the arial bombing, but not the way in which the squads infiltrated the base." She stood and looked at the young Sangheili. "We need to find the others and figure this mess out. The soldiers stationed here will being the process of removing bodies."

When the pair arrived in the Command Center, to say it was chaotic would be an understatement. The room was chock full of bodies hunched over work, some pulling bodies away and others dodging the debris piled around the room. Jess and Niro quickly analyzed the room, figuring out where they needed to be.

Keyes and Vora were currently engaged in a shouting match with the Human officials present and the rest via large screens with their video image displayed. S'rin and Janu were seated in front of a set of consoles surrounded by Human analysts; their eyes the best trained to pick up any anomalies on the security feeds. Fred was directing a group of Marines to search for mission officers while Chief, Tiffany, and Will were missing.

The two both moved to join the Captain and Shipmaster as they had information about the origin of the attack that needed to be shared.

"How _dare _you accuse _my_ men of organizing an attack on this base!" Shipmaster 'Ledum growled, fist crashing into the palm of his other hand.

"We have very strict protocols dealing with rebel pockets. We monitor them closely and can predict their attacks. Pray tell how this one so obviously passed under any radar?" The older official placed his hands on his hips and stared evenly at the Elite.

"This is not the time nor place to blame each other!" Keyes shook a finger at the man and gnawed on the end of his pipe.

"Ah, but Captain, how are we supposed to organize a relief effort if we cannot trust those within our ranks?" One of the women on the screen questioned.

"These were _Humans_ who attacked this fortress! I am a Sangheili, I do not use mere Human rebels to fight my battles! My brothers are more than capable of delivering more damage if they so wished." Vora snarled at the pair of opposers.

"Gabriels, cut it out. The Shipmaster has a valid point." Gabriels turned to glare at the man on one of the screens.

"How can you trust him, Smith! We do not know who planned this attack, so their is nothing further we can discuss. Captain, _Shipmaster_," He sneered. "You are on your own." Gabriels said shortly.

"_Admiral_, I suggest you listen to the officers. They are much better informed than _you are_." Jessie butted in, silencing the apparent violent retort from the agitated alien.

"And who might you be?"

"Second Class Petty Officer Spartan - oh five seven, sir!" Jessie saluted smartly.

"Thank you for the input, but I am sure you are better off handling clean up or shooting any survivors, _Spartan_." A handful of other officials murmured their agreement. Their distaste of the super-soldier was self-evident to Vora; he had noticed a pattern in other Humans harboring a subtle hate of the Spartan soldiers they themselves had created.

"The Petty Officer stays." Jacob Keyes said sternly.

"As you wish, Captain. The Spartan will have useful information." An elderly woman mentioned from a screen.

"What do you have to report?"

"The offensive was a strategic attack well in the making. A week ago we captured two rebels after a fight upon arriving to the planet. I was able to get some information from one of the captives." Jessie then began to play the recording from the external speakers on her helmet.

_"Start talking." She growled. The man said nothing and kept blocking his eyes from the light. "Alright, let's do it your way." she gripped the muzzle of the gun and swung the butt towards his head. The metal gun connected with a loud clipping noise and threw his head back. She grabbed a handful of hair and uniform and turned on him. "Tell me what you know!" She shouted. _

_He gapped in horror and babbled a bit before quieting. Jessie yanked his head back and pushed the handgun into the bottom of his jaw._

_"I don't have all day and my patience are shorter than the time it'll take this bullet to reach your brain." Jess snarled._

_"Don't shoot me! This was the plan from the start!" He tried to push the gun from his face, but removed his hands after a futile attempt. "We were to attack the landing parties and kill who we could. The Captain and Split-lip leader were priority one. Spartans and officers second."_

_"Continue." Jessie pushed him further into the metal chair._

_"We knew you would send someone to the ridge, so we arranged to get a guy on the inside. Then, we would bomb the base and kill and take who we needed. You have collected quite the gathering of potential and important bargaining chips."_

She cut off the recording before the audience could hear her kill the man. Vora gave her a sidelong glance out of the corner of his eye, understanding what happened when he was absent from the room.

"The sensitive nature of the meetings here, the importance of the people, and the mere fact of the UNSC base stationed on this planet, has prompted the rebel group to turn to violence to kill us or drive us off the planet."

None of the officials said a word as they thought over the knew information.

"Quick thinking." Keyes murmured to the Spartan.

Gabriels spoke up, "That's just the tip of the iceberg. If you have no more information, that will be all."

"Please, Admiral Gabriels, let them finish without you interrupting."

"Apologies." Gabriels said to even _his superior_.

At this point, Niro stepped forward. "Major Niro 'Reshin," He crossed an arm over his chest and bowed hie head. When he straightened, he spoke, "I was returning to the base just before the initial attack. I went through the gates and security and nothing seemed out of place. I reached the main compound at the same time the rebels revealed themselves." Niro paused to take a breath then continue his explanation.

"Will the perimeter logs verify the times you exited and left the gate?"

"Yes, ma'am." Niro responded.

"In this case, it means they either found a way to infiltrate the perimeter without tripping alarms or they were let in through one of the checkpoints." Keyes stated.

"Are you saying we have a traitor among us?" Smith questioned.

"I am not out right saying it, but we must weigh all our options." Keyes corrected.

"Are their any soldier or officers who are natives to this planet or in anyway would have connections to a rebel group?" Vora asked.

"This is most concerning. Captain, Shipmaster, Major, Petty Officer, we will look into this further. You have a military post to return to working order. Good day." The screens flashed black and the other dignitaries filed away from the desk to conduct their own meetings elsewhere.

Captain Keyes turned to Niro, "Major, I would like you to meet up with the Spartan squad doing a sweep of the area. Report anything unusual to myself, Shipmaster 'Ledum or the Master Chief."

"Yes, sir." Niro saluted the two officers then left the center. Keyes was then waved over by Fred and he excused himself.

Jess was going to go find a way to help, when she noticed Vora rubbing a knuckle along his face in frustration.

"They act like that to everyone." She said.

"So it seems." He grunted.

"We will figure this out. It won't stall your deliberations with them." She reassured.

"That is not what I am worried about."

"Then what is it?"

"Now is not the time to discuss it, trust me." He looked over his shoulder at her, neck curling around so his head could face the woman.

"If that is what you want." She paused. "Where is Peter?"

"He is in my quarters. After the fighting slowed, I moved him there so I could come here."

"Is he alright?"

"He is very shaken up, but he'll get through it." The lights in the room flickered and hummed as the technicians worked no resorting power to the whole base. "You should go see him, he was asking for you."

"I should stay-"

"No, he needs you and I am plenty sure the soldier can handle themselves without needing a Spartan in charge. You've already done enough good for now."

"You know where to find me." Jessie left the room and headed in the direction of the Shipmaster's quarters.

**PLANET SURFACE-22:00 HOURS**

Jessie walked into the room to find a groggy Peter curled up in a spare blanket on the bed, arms clutching the item he had shoved in his pocket hours prior, a small teddy bear.

"Peter, it's Jess." He looked up at her, sleep evident in his eyes. She removed her helmet and set the black armored component on the desk. Other than a flushed face from fighting and some of her hair stuck to her forehead, the woman looked uninjured to the boy.

"What happened?" He questioned, voice small.

"The rebels Chief discussed with you earlier attacked the base. You are safe now." She slowly sat down on the floor in front of the bed since she doubted it could handle the full weight of her armor.

"All those men wanted to kill you and your friends." Peter bluntly stated.

"Well, yes. We are fighting a war, the men who attacked today wanted to kill many people, but we stopped them." Jessie tried to soften the explanation for the boy.

"The man who stayed with me talked to himself after you left. He was worried about you." She heard the rustle of his blanket at he moved.

"We are all worried about each other and we look out for our companions." Her shoulder jumped as Peter unexpectedly laid a hand on her arm. He then wiggled himself over her shoulder and slid down into her lap, boy, blanket, bear and all.

"I was scared." He curled up in the Spartan's lap.

"I know you were, everyone was. But it is over now, don't think about it too much."

Peter looked thoughtful, but his face betrayed how tired the little boy really was.

"You have had a long day and it is late. You need to sleep." She told him. Peter looked up and said, "Will you stay here?"

"Yes, if you want me to." Peter nodded and snuggled down into the blanket.

**PLANET SURFACE-22:30 HOURS**

Jessie watched Peter as he slept in her arms. It was an odd sensation and situation to be in. She was a soldier, a Spartan, and here she was caring for a little orphan because he could help in their fight against rebels on the planet. It was by no means weird, just unexpected. The sound of the door unlatching brought her from her thoughts.

When the gold armored Elite stepped into the room, she raised one finger to her lips, signaling the want for silence.

Vora saw the hand signal through the dark and silently placed his helmet next to hers on the desk then walked over to sit next to the Spartan on the floor. He folded his legs beneath him and settled down on the floor. Eyes watching the woman and mandibles occasionally fluttering. He saw the sleeping mass in her lap and her armored arms creating a sort of shield around the boy.

"He didn't want me to leave." She whispered to the Elite.

"I can tell. You are the first one to show him kindness in the base." Vora murmured back.

"How is everything going?" She questioned quietly.

"The Master Chief is still out with the squad looking for what they can, Keyes is now in charge of the base since the Lieutenant was killed, and the numbers are starting to arrive for both sides. It is hectic, but progress is coming along, no matter how slow." Jessie nodded her head to his quick run down of the condition of the base.

"I should have seen this coming, everything adds up to it." Jess remarked.

"Do not blame yourself. If anyone is at fault, you are not the first on the list. Had I not listened to you, I would have had no armor nor a weapon at the time of the attack. For that, I must thank you." murmured Vora.

Jessie gave him a small smile in return, but it was one that did not reach her eyes. The Shipmaster could tell a lot was weighing on the woman, and he knew how she felt. "I should leave you to rest, I'll take Peter."

"No, you are no trouble here and there is no need to disturb the boy."

"You have a lot of responsibilities and people relying on you, Vora. For once you need to care for yourself." She urged.

Vora closed his eyes briefly and sighed heavily.

"I-I do not want to be alone at this time," he paused to breath. "My memories weigh heavy on me, they haunt me more and more each day. It is all beginning to confuse me." He dropped his gaze from the woman to the wall across the room from him. "There has also been some, developments, that are troublesome." He shook his head like he was trying to knock the thoughts from his mind. "I am weak, it is starting to consume me as much as I try to push it back; In my time of weakness, all I ask is to not be alone to wallow in my own shame." His thick neck drooped and his shoulders heaved.

"Vora-" He then cut he short.

"You may leave if you want," his mandibles pulled tight to his face, he wouldn't look at her.

"No, that is not what I was going to do. I'll stay with you, hell, you should have mentioned it earlier. I won't just sit around and let someone I know drown in self-pity. That's a plus about us Spartans, we care for one another, and we do a damn good job of it too." 'Ledum gave a short snort, but said nothing.

Carefully, Jessie stood and turned to the bed. She lifted the bundle Peter was in, and set the boy gently on the bed, making sure not to wake him before she settle back down on the floor. She crossed her legs under her and faced the Elite.

"If it would help, you can tell me what is bothering you. Or, we could sit her quietly. Whatever is better for you." She offered quietly.

"It is shameful to be so weak," he muttered, more to himself than her. "Especially in front of those you command. I have managed to overcome my fears and anxieties for years, yet, now they are back stinger than before. For some reason I am unable to keep them at bay. It hurts to fight back, and it is a loosing battle." His mandibles twitched stiffly before contracting against his face.

"It is not shameful, Vora. I don't care what you say, we all have a breaking point. I bet every person on this base has their own demons and they fight them constantly. That is what happens during a war. You are not alone." She comforted. Jess heard his armor creak a bit as he turned his body to face her a bit.

"Three years ago." He closed his eyes and took a calming breath. "Three years ago, my younger brother, Duin 'Ledumee, was executed on the orders of the Prophets. He never deserved to die and it hurt all those close to him. He committed no blasphemous acts, nothing to prompt such an act as shaming then a public death. He left a pregnant mate and young son behind, in my care." Vora was talking to the floor, but Jess knew his words were for her. "Our family and bloodline were not shamed, but many make Duin to be a mark on our line. It was hard watching my brother loose all he had. And there was nothing I could do about it, everything I tried reached a dead end to the point there was nothing more I could do but watch. Duin was a great husband and father, it was difficult to tell his mate her husband would never return home to her and the kits. They would grow up with a memory and stories, and she would have to live with the shame of an executed soldier, not an honorable battle death." His head bobbed slowly as he finished his tale.

"Vora, I'm so sorry. I know there aren't many words I can say to make this all go away, but thank you for telling me. Duin will be remembered. He may be dead, but you, his wife, and children carry his memory close to their hearts. He will never be forgotten. Allow Duin's memory to propel you further, not hold you back. Fight for him, fight the Covenant for all that he is worth and you are worth. As an uncle, you are fighting for extended family, protect them." She carefully stretched a hand out and set it on his upper arm, eyes roaming his face.

She felt him shift slowly, careful with is own movements. As if looking for permission, he slowly inched his head closer to the woman. When she made no protest, he pressed his forehead to the armor covering her right shoulder. His movements pressed her into the bed behind them. Knowing she needed to offer him what comfort she could, Jessie wrapped her arms partway around the alien. She could feel him shaking lightly has he pressed his head to her.

"You're grieving. It is only natural, you need it." She whispered.

"I was angry at first. But now…all I can feel is endless loss." His words were muffled by her shoulder, but clear enough for Jessie to understand. She rested a hand on his neck, thumb brushing a small pattern.

"I know. I know." She whispered, pulling him in closer. "Just let yourself get it out. It hurts, I know, but you've got to let go. For Duin's sake, accept his death and make that reason for you to keep going."

"I have lost many men in my lifetime. When my brother died, it was the first time it got to me."

"I know exactly how you are feeling. You're not alone. The universe can seem like a pretty dark place at times, losing someone dear makes it even more of a void." Her hand continued to rub his neck and Vora pushed his body into her more, armor creating a small barrier between them.

"I did not want you to see me this weak, but I could no longer bear being alone," He turned his head so his mandibles brushed against her neck and jaw when he spoke. "I tried talking to Janu, we share stories all the time, but for once it didn't help. Being with you, this has helped more than any other time I have tried to confront my personal demons." Jessie didn't say anything, she just held the Sangheili close in his moment of weakness; this was about him, not her.

**Hope you liked it! I was going to launch into the next part, but I decided to hold off for the next chapter. Please leave a review on the way out!**

**-Masterful-Min**


	23. Introspect

_A Spartan's War_

A/N: Summer is here, so that should mean more frequent updates. Just got to get back into the swing of things and we'll be good to go! I'm going to try and get back to some of the other characters eventually…I feel bad for neglecting them. This next chapter takes places directly after the previous with little to no time jump. So, this is a romance fic. It seems mostly like an action/adventure one, so I'm going to focus more on the relationship building than addressing the dire state of the base and such. Focus will be more on Vora's and Jessie's introspect. I was listening to the Mass Effect 3 soundtrack at the time, so there should be some underlying emotional tones :) As always, read and review!

_**Thanks to the reviewers: Grand Master Darkstorm and Bler. Also a huge thank you to the readers who added my story and I to their favorites or alerts! It means a lot.**_

**Chapter 23: Introspect**

Jessie's eyes slowly fluttered open as she awoke. She briefly yawned before taking in her surroundings. She was still in 'Ledum's room from the previous night, but she was now wedged between the floor and the bed. Her armor making some of her joints sore from the prolonged state of inactivity in an odd position. A large, heavy, alien body was half draped over her; creating the being pinning her. Her eyes traced the exhausted lines of the Elite, remembering the conversation they had shared. Vora had essentially spilled his heart to her, and that, combined with the never ending activities of the past days, lead to their inevitable tiredness. God knows they both needed it. Trying not to wake the man, she slipped her arm out from below his upper body and glanced at her gauntlet for the time. They had a few hours before they were needed for duty.

Gently placing her hand on his shoulder so her arm was more comfortable, Jess let her head drop to the ground behind her. She tried to focus on the ceiling, but her mind quickly wandered. What was she doing? Here she was laying on the floor with a man asleep, using her as a pillow. Mind you a _superior officer_, even if he was from a different species and military. It felt so wrong, against regs, but so right. Like they belonged here. She had to admit that the two of them had been growing close over the time they had known each other. She seemed comfortable with Vora's presence. He was protective and informal with her. Was this comradeship, or something more? Jessie had never been one to be perfect with understanding her emotions. Some of that being trained out of her in her youth, but she couldn't decipher what she felt for the Shipmaster. Was she playing games with herself? Was she being too hopeful? Did he feel the same way or was he just being friendly? Jessie rolled her eyes. She was acting like a confused teenager, not the tough-as-nails soldier humanity needed her to be.

Hell, any day could be her last. Humanity was fighting a loosing war against a myriad of religious aliens; Spartans created to try and even the playing field and boost moral. Spartans may _never die_, but they sure as hell could drop dead in the _MIA_ sense. Jessie knew she could die at the hands of a stronger opponent on some lost world and be listed as MIA, never to be seems again. It was almost inevitable in her line of work. She expected to die on the battlefield. Such an unknown hero's death she had come to accept a long time ago. She would die so that others could continue on, give humans a fighting chance.

With death somewhere around one of the proverbial corners of her life, she had to live in the now and fight for the future. As much as average humans needed hope to struggle through the long war against the Covenant, even rough and tough Spartans needed a little moral boost here and there. They knew the real truths behind the war. The hopelessness, petty infighting among brass, unwillingness to accept others among troops. With the image of an unstoppable super-soldier force, it would be hard not to fall under the spell. But, the Spartan II's had suffered their first major loss at 12 post-augmentation, and _Spartans never lost_. It was a blow to them when many did not survive the super-soldier process. They fought to keep such a wipeout from happening to the rest of their species, but even they needed a little pat on the back, a good job, some R&R, a pick-me up.

Vora was becoming Jessie's light in the dark. The small ray of hope that maybe all was not lost. The ranks of their enemies had fractures, however small. And those fractures could be expounded upon. Vora had shown a willingness to cooperate, mutual agreements and such when fellow Spartans or humans tended not to. He had shown her a more realistic side to life through their conversations. Sharing past stories and experiences, trying to stray from the omnipresent topic of the military.

She may be tricking herself, but she felt that he accepted her for who she was. He saw past the rank, Spartan status, stoic personality, even her gun to see just who she was. A human woman; a living, breathing person who still responded to the most basic needs of human nature when she could. Vora did not expect a mission report every time he saw her or a bet on kill counts. He was there for her if needed, and that she greatly appreciated. He even tolerated her inability to place complete trust in a human touch. Suffering from her past life as a child, she protected herself subconsciously through muscle reactions to touch. Vora, however had managed to move beyond that. For the small touches they had shared, she did not want to shrug them off.

Jessie knew her place and her job, but when time presented themselves and she could forget about those things she would. Vora was becoming her rock in the now to stand upon so she could construct a rock for humanity in the future.

She was continuing down that train of thought when she felt Vora twitch.

His neck muscles clenched and his body gave a quick jerk. _"Night terror…?."_ she thought. His quiet, occasional snore breathing gave a small rasp before his right hand skimmed across the floor. Looking for a target or not, it grasped Jessie's free hand and held on tight. Four digits clamping around her five. Not sure if he was dreaming or suffering from a nightmare and not wanting to wake him since he needed sleep, Jessie moved her palm from his shoulder to his bare cheek. The Elite stilled as soon as the thick material of her glove rested on his cheek.

Vora gave one last kick and a small bark before he settled into a peaceful rest again, long neck extending again and his head flipping forward to unknowingly find the gap where her shoulders met her neck.

She had not meant to fall asleep, but it apparently did happen. Jess did not remember much past the story Vora shared last night before falling asleep. He too had succumbed to sleep, not thinking much about the woman whom he now had trapped under his bulk. Not wanting to wallow in her unconfirmed emotions, or wake Vora, Jessie slowly closed her eyes. Content to enjoy some of the time she had.

**UNSC BASE-30 MINUTES LATER**

A chirping beep reached Jessie's ears as she floated into consciousness again. Her helmet, still sitting on the edge of the desk was pinging. Letting her know she had received a communication. Blowing a lock of hair out of her eyes, she lifted her head. She was met with the gaze of the Elite still laying over her.

"Woke you too?" She questioned.

"No, I have been awake for a few minutes," Vora glanced over his shoulder at the helmet." You may want to get that."

"It will quiet in a moment. I'm not on duty for another two hours, so if anyone needs me, they better damn well find me. Not call me like a dog." She muttered with post-sleep grumpiness most people seemed plagued with.

Nodding his head in acknowledgement, Vora shifted and used his hands to prop himself up to peer at the bed. "Peter is still out." The boy in question was tied up in his blanket and sleeping soundly at the head of the bed.

"And I thought I was tired." Jess half joked.

"Aren't we all." said Vora. He then gazed down at the woman below him and the position they were in. "We seemed to have fallen asleep after our little…chat." He stated.

"So it would seem. You feeling better?" She asked. she made no move, but Vora slid off of her and rolled onto his side so he could face her. At such close range, she curiously noted the light purple tinge to his face. Much as her's was tinged a light pink.

"I don't know if I will ever be able to move on from it, but I do feel much better. Thank you."

"No need to thank me, Vora." His gaze wandered her face for a moment, and she detected a look in his eyes she did not recognize.

Vora blinked slowly as he thought. Being comforted by the Spartan the previous night had been so, well, _relaxing_. Letting some of his woes out had exhausted him and with energy spent, he obviously succumbed to sleep. He assumed the Spartan wasn't far behind considering her work load, but he was somewhat surprised she didn't leave or push him off her. Rather they ended up in a sleepy pile. Her on the ground and him snoring above. Not to say he didn't mind.

He watched Jess look at him as his eyes searched her face. She had a slightly expectant look on her face asking _what?_. He stopped his staring and said, "To think you wanted to shoot me dead the first time we met." The mandibles not resting on the floor wagged once smugly.

Jessie pursed her lips, "My, isn't someone smug today." But the flecks of pink across her face deepened into a shade of red.

Vora's eyes glittered with a smug look to match his smirk. "I just find the situations…contradicting." To prove his point, one hand reached out to brush at the hair falling over her shoulder. He gently ran his gloved fingers through the tangled blond curls before gathering them in his palm and flicking them over her back, out of her face. Jessie's eyes would not meet his gaze and she looked at the floor with keen interest, thoughts reverting to what they were before he woke.

His hand then traveled across her cheek to lightly cup her chin. Vora's other hand then grasped her shoulder plate and aided her in sitting up with him before using the hand on her chin to raise her face to look at him.

The lower of his four fingers grazed over Jess' slightly parted lips, eyes intense. "My life has been very successful in the military. I never fail and am a respected officer," Vora's voice was low. "Sangheili value a star-studded military career. I could obtain whatever I wanted on the homeward with a record like mine,"

He blinked slowly, mandible parted slightly wider than normal to compensate for his accelerated breathing."For some reason it does not seem like enough. I spend my time away from the ground, for my life's work is my cruiser," Much like Vora, Jessie's breathing was a little more labored and she felt warm. She watched silently as he started telling something to her she did not understand the meaning of yet. Her eyelids felt heavy and she watched baited ash Vora's head inched closer to hers. The pads of his fingers felt hot on her skin even with his gloves on due to her hyperawareness. She did not push him away.

"The times I am able to visit Sanghelios, it is spent not far from the cruiser. I do not have anything worth real value to me. An estate is in my name, yes, but what am I supposed to fill it with? Medals? Furniture? Art? Weapons? Those…possessions matter not to me when I consider my life is passing me by," His forehead bumped into her's. His skin was warm and leathery, but held a softness to it as he pressed against her. Rubbing slightly, he continued, "My brother figured his life out to the full, beyond the military. And of that, I am slightly jealous. He has shown me what I am missing…" Opening his eyes to look at Jessie, he saw a softness in the woman's gaze he never thought possible for a woman of steel Spartan. Maybe his budding feelings were not so one sided.

Over the course of time, he had become aware of this _pull _towards Jessie. She became an asset and a brother-in-arms as did the rest of her squad. But then came the protectiveness. He had yet to need to act upon it, but he would if necessary. The time they had spared had been not a test of skill but of restraint. When he received looks when Jessie was both present and not about the scent that clung to her, he stood taller, prouder. Not shamed of his actions or second guessing.

Preparing to follow up on his next statement, the pair heard a muffled, "Ew!" From above them. The Sangheili and the human quickly broke apart and whipped around to face the bed. "Grown ups can be mushy." Peter commented from his little blanket cave.

"Sleeping Beauty awakes." Jess commented with a sarcastic, but stern look in her eye because of what the boy had interrupted. Vora and Peter both looked at her with creased brows in question. Vora's head dropped and titled and his mandibles were slack. Peter voiced the alien's confusion, "What?"

"Old human phrase. 21st Century I think." She waved her hand dismissively. Suddenly, her hemet pinged again. This time with the trill of an urgent message. Disentangling her limbs, she stood and placed her helot over her head and sealed it with her suit.

She read, re-read, then skimmed the message for a third time. Her visor looked down at Vora, "I need you to take Peter to get something to eat. I have to meet the Captain, it's urgent." At this point Vora was standing. He could not see the look of worry that passed over her hidden face.

"I can do that before I have to report back." He responded.

"Promise me you will return to your room as soon as you two finish eating. Comm me when you do. Before you report in again."

"Jessie, I-" He started.

"Promise me!" it came out harsher than she intended. He moved to stand before her and settled a heavy hand on her shoulder.

"Please, tell me what is going on?"

"Not now, I cannot. I will in due time, when I get the green light, but please comma me and do not leave this room after you eat."

"Fine. I promise," He watched her quickly nod her head like she was trying to console herself. "I do not like to be left in the dark."

"I'm sure you will be alerted when you return to your post, but for now, I need you to trust me." She lifted Vora's hand off her should and gave it a quick squeeze before slipping out the door and into the hallway; steps fast and with a purpose.

**I hope I got the point across with Vora's seducing monologue. I intentionally didn't finish it for Jess' sake since it isn't quite time for them to spill the beans. The point was that he has a successful career and possessions, but no one in his life. He has no family of his own or significant other. He wants what his brother had with his family and he sees that in Jessie. He wants her to be that female he never found on Sanghelios. There will be more detail on that though, later. **

**And…another plot bunny, everyone! I seems to have a weak filter between my brain and my fingers, so new ideas tend to get written a lot. The source of distress, one for each party (Jess [Human] and Vora [Ex-Cov]) will be introduced next chapter. Please review!**

**-Masterful-Min**


	24. Minatory

_A Spartan's War_

A/N: It has been forever since I've updated! I am so sorry for the extremely long wait! But all my lovely readers have stuck with me through thick and thin. I present a new chapter! Yay!

A little precursor before you read the content of this chapter (assuming anyone actually reads these long winded author's notes), the new 'plot bunny' or whatever you want to call it, is, I guess, a test. This idea came to me as a sudden idea since I haven't worked on this fic in, well, forever. I am once again in the position of figuring out where I am planning to take the story…curse me for forgetting over the year I abandoned this. More and more developments :) I will gauge how far I take it based on reader feedback.

Rereading my work, I have a slight feeling, as the author that the story/plot may not be as fluid or well developed as it could be. Is that just me?

One more thing before you get to the story. I believe it has been mentioned one or more times that the rebels and Covenant did not overlap. I brushed up on my timelines on the Halo wikia and Spartans dealt with both the Covenant and Innies simultaneously during the war. One just being more aggressive than the other. I'm using the human rebels as the enemies for now before I develop the aliens coming after our lovely missing crew.

I shave been gone for so long! I can't believe it has been a year+. If anyone is still reading it at this point, reviews are always welcome and I am actually moving the romance forward in this chapter (at least a physical aspect of it)! Just took me 24 chapters to actually do so.

Long note is long! I won't hold you from reading anymore. Be free!

As always, read and review! Please! If you read, favorite or alert, please take a minute to tell me what you think!

_**Thanks to all the readers who have added my work to their favorites list or alert list: VIPER789, SMFScar, Dalek Nerka, davethebest12, MrBeefzilla, SuicuneLuver, ggg23, Forestimp45, AlphaRidley, SuicuneLuver, ggg23, Forestimp45, Baldore, Ella Davis, Kirake, crazy shaken, KingKongRampage, BigReader16, HalfBloodDragon621, HoodieNinja476, KATT9033, HuleoHorse, Druandear, MysteryWolf, Hypaethral, Fox-Hound-96, swimmerdude220, N7 Infinitium, Iamaperson117, ShadowOfAFlame1, RoughBuncher, Barotte, LucyRider17, and Blake2016!**_

_**Thanks to the reviewers: Bler, ultimate idiot, BigReder16, KATT9033, MECHANICAL CHEESE, and Barbarette!**_

**Chapter 24: Minatory**

**PLANET SURFACE-08:00 HOURS**

Jessie did not stop as she walked through the heavy doors of the command center. Half the room was still clouded in shadow while the lights that worked glowed dully. In another moment she was standing with the base's Lieutenant, Captain Keyes, and Fred. The human officials were not present. Only one large screen was activated and displayed the visage of a single Admiral.

Captain Keyes and the Lieutenant faced the Spartan as soon as she came to a halt.

"Sir, I came as soon as I could." She lifted her helmet off her head and cradled it under her arm.

"I am afraid the situation is worse than it seems." Keyes said gravely.

Fred crossed his arms tightly over his armored chest, "Where is the rest of Blue Team?" He asked his superior officer. Keyes shifted his gaze from the soldier under his command, to a man of the same age; wanting him to be the one to provide the answer to the super-soldier's question.

"Sir?" Jess asked to prompt a quicker answer and to help settle a sense of rising concern in herself and concern she could easily see growing in Fred's shoulders.

The Lieutenant ran a tired hand over his face before answering, "Quarantine." He uttered. Jessie's eyes narrowed and Fred's hands tightened around his crossed arms.

"Would you care to explain?" Fred's voice was low and deadpan.

The Admiral on the screen began speaking, "As you know a squad of three Spartans were sent to scout and flush out any rebel stragglers in the area after the initial attack," His eyes traced over the men and woman in front of him."Hours after they returned, one soldier began exhibiting odd behavior. As a precaution, all three have been placed in quarantine since they all could have been exposed."

"You still did not answer my question. Details, I need details. _Sir_." Fred ground out.

Jess placed a calming hand on Fred's shoulder, "How serious is it?"

"We do not know the extent of the…problem. No deaths have occurred and we do not want it to escalate to that level. The med bay is ground zero at the moment." The Lieutenant paused and looked at the messaging system in his palm. "A nurse have been moved into quarantine. The doctor says her symptoms are developing faster than the Spartan." The man's face paled and he wiped his free hand down the leg of his pants, smoothing away the nervous sweat.

"We have only known for a few hours. The doctors think it is some form of super-virus. So far any treatment for known symptoms have been rejected by the infected body." Keyes said.

"Is it a natural agent or engineered?" Fred questioned.

"Unknown. Med techs are scrambling to find out. They did mention previous bio-weapon use by the rebels on this planet." The Lieutenant explained.

"Yes, they used tipped bullets." Jessie said remembering the ordeal when she had first arrived. "That was removed from my system quickly and without any complications."

"Our troops have seen that same tactics used before. Treatment is well known among medical staff in the UNSC as long as the patient it treated in enough time." Keyes commented.

"I want the matter to stay among this group. No one else is to know unless direct orders are given," said the Admiral. "This could become more serious than it is now and I do not want to have mass panic on our hands."

"Admiral, there are other superiors in this building. They need to know." Jessie stated.

"Aliens, Spartan. I refuse to hand such knowledge over to an Elite and his troops. Imagine what they could do to us in a time of weakness! The officials have also been instructed to suspend all negotiations until I give the green light. As far as we know it only effects humans, so that chance will not be taken." ordered the Admiral.

"Yes, sir." Jess' military training answering for her. She knew to follow the direct oder and not reveal the details of the meeting, but a voice in the back of her head told her it wasn't right to withhold the information from the Sangheili.

"Sir, I wish to see the rest of my team." Fred stated.

"All in due time." The Lieutenant responded.

"If the virus is spreading in the base, has it affected the people who live in the area?" Jess asked.

"We are working on that. We have video feed from Spartan-126 that analysts are combing through. If it is a native disease, the locals will have built up immunity and not be effected. If it is weaponized, then we may see isolated cases around the immediate area, but the worst concentrated cases here." Captain Keyes explained.

Jessie stayed silent as she thought over the new information. Fred, on the other hand, continued to push to visit the missing members of their squad.

"This base is rather insignificant in the grand scheme of things. I don't understand the sudden uprise in attacks. The rebels on this planet have been quiet for a good part of the war. And our superiors had us ignore them in order to completely focus on the Covenant." The Lieutenant mentioned quietly.

"This station got a lot more important as soon as we showed up, Lieutenant." Keyes answered back.

"That is irrelevant," the Admiral on the screen waved his hand in dismissal. "I want patrols to be equipped with biohazard equipment and base defense personnel increased."

"Of course, Admiral. We will also do our best to isolate the point of origin. From their we can either develop an antidote or begin evacuations," Captain Keyes saluted the Admiral before the screen flicked off. "Fred, come with me." The Spartan and Captain turned and walked away from the small group, heads dipped in hushed conversation. The Lieutenant gave a small nod before beating tracks away from Jessie to continue his work.

Jessie heaved a sigh and glanced at the time displayed on her gauntlet. She was due for solo patrol in 20 minutes. She carefully navigated her way back out of the shadowy control center towards the armory. Head warring over developing personal and professional loyalties.

**UNSC BASE - 09:25 HOURS**

Jess settled her sniper rifle on the roof of the base before lowering herself to lay prone behind it. Her HUD synched with the scope and the Spartan settled in for the long haul. Heavy, wet drops of rain pinged off the metal roof and pooled in puddles; rivulets traced watery patterns down Jess' black armor. The dark storm clouds blotted out the morning sun and distant rumbles of thunder echoed the promise of an even larger storm on the way.

_**"I said I would comm you when I was back. I want an explanation for your rush."**_ Vora's voice suddenly filled her ears as her in-helmet comm activated.

Jessie worried her lower lip. _"Dammit…what am I supposed to say?"_

"You back on duty?" She decided to avoid the question for now and get some of her own answered.

_**"Yes, though I have found a few brief moments to comm you."**_ His answer was short and direct. Jess idly flicked through scope views so the gloomy rain-washed horizon came into crisper view.

"Where's Peter?" She could hear his light huff through her helmet.

_**"One of the female marines volunteered to watch him for a bit. Last she radioed they were partaking in some human child's game in my quarters."**_ Vora read and reread a sentence on the datapad in his hand, not really paying it any mind.

"Oh…good. Good." She brought a gloved hand up to her visor and succeeded in streaking more than clearing it of water.

_**"Jessie…you are avoiding the question. What had you bothered before you left me this morning? I have yet to be alerted of anything warranting such concern."**_ She could hear the almost patronizing tone in his voice.

With such distance between them, he could not see her squeeze her eyes shut, but he could pick up on the slight sigh that forced its way from her.

"Need to know basis. I can't tell you. Admiral's orders."

_**"Not the answer I was hoping for, but understandable. As soon as the order is lifted, you tell me. Am I clear?"**_ Jessie lifted a questioning eyebrow.

"Honestly, I don't see why his has you so concerned," A yellow dot popped up on her FoF indicator before a sopping wet, complaining marine edged into her sight. "Hang on one moment."

_**"This conversation might be easier face to face."**_ Vora commented off handedly. He had given up reading the update on the _Triumphant Declaration_ from his second in command and had moved to stand by a large window still intact from the assault on the military base.

"Well, as simpler as that may be, I've got patrol and you've got whatever Ship Master's do." The approaching thunder rattled the bulletproof panes before it was echoed in his earpiece.

_**"I am stuck with the duty of reports this morning and I am not enjoying it to say the least." **_He tossed the pad onto a nearby table and turned to fully face the window.

When Jessie did not respond, he settled with trying to pick out objects through the rain being tossed about by the wind.

The marine scuttled back to the dry safety of the base swearing after delivering patrol updates. No one wanted her accidentally sniping a friendly in the ugly storm. She rolled her eyes at the thought. Between FoF tags and her training, she surely wouldn't start on a mistaken identity shooting spree.

"Yeah, yeah. Chalk it up. Beats laying in a puddle in the middle of a storm." Jess was relieved Vora dropped the notion of whatever had her edgy so easily. Though, it did seem a little out of character for him. Whatever the reason, it still came as a relief. Instead, they resorted to what was becoming friendly banter over the comm to stave off boredom related with slow shifts.

_**"Are you on the roof by any chance? Laying down with a sniper rifle near a satellite dish?"**_ 'Ledum squinted his eyes to try and better make out the dark shape on a part of the roof visible from his window.

"Yes, I am" Jessie watched a small squad slip and slide back towards the fencing surrounding the base. The wind pushed at their backs and the muddy grass painted their boots brown.

_**"Enjoy the rain for me. The base is dry and warm, much better suited to my liking. I'll keep watch and make sure you don't hurt yourself. I am under the impression humans like to galavant in the puddles accumulated during storms."**_ The humor was heavy in his voice. He watched the shape push itself to its elbows and turn its visor to him.

Jess, on her elbows, rolled to her left and looked down on the bank of windows running the length of the building behind her. In one of the few with lights working, she spotted Vora. Stance casual and helmet missing, he was gazing out into the dim morning.

"I don't _galavant_ in the rain." She waved slightly with her hand to show she had spotted him. Vora pressed two fingers to the side of his head when his earpiece relayed her message before lifting his other palm in greeting.

_**"You will not now, knowing I am watching. But you cannot deny your base human instincts."**_ His mandibles wagged at his jest, as poor as it may have been.

"Riight," Jess chuckled back. "As enticing as it sounds, I've got some more pressing business. Like shooting anyone who shouldn't be here. These suits are supposed to make just about any environment bearable, but I still can't stand how miserable this rain is."

_**"What is the human phrase? 'Soaked to the marrow'-?"**_

"Soaked to the bone."

_**"Bone, right. You are not soaked to the bone are you? Such a terrible job that of a soldier. You must get a little wet while scouting in the rain."**_ The Ship Master lightly mocked the sopping wet Spartan on the roof.

"Remind me to lock you outside in the next big storm. See how you like it." Jess grumbled. Shifting slightly to keep any of her limbs from falling asleep.

_**"I appreciate the offer, but I much prefer dry indoors. I am not even sure you could really get me outside to accomplish a lofty goal."**_ He watched the muzzle of the rifle slowly trace the landscape, its owner on the lookout for any trespassers.

"I think you're forgetting something, 'Ledum. I am a Spartan. I can move more than a paper weight. Besides, I know some humans, and Sangheili, alike who I could get to help."

_**"Empty threats, Demon, empty threats." **_As convincing as he tried to sound, he couldn't keep the small smile from his voice.

**UNSC BASE-12:00 HOURS**

Snapping the last piece back onto the sniper rifle, Jessie cursed rain and all the damn nooks and crannies it could run into. An few hours on duty and the gun was waterlogged enough to lead to a very lengthy cleaning session.

Resilient as her armor was, her over cautious technician wanted it removed and in his care until he deemed it alright to return it to its abusive owner. When she had thought it dried out, she could flick her wrist and send water droplets splattering in any direction.

Rubbing a towel along the barrel then her hands, Jessie placed the sniper rifle back on the rack alongside her other guns in the armory.

"Humans are poorly adapted to cold weather, aren't they?" Eyes widening mildly but showing no other outward signs of being startled, Jessie nonchalantly turned to face the owner of the voice.

The armory door clicked closed and Ship Master Vora 'Ledum obscured the doorframe.

"Seen all the snotty-nosed marines scrabbling back to their bunks after shift?" She unconsciously rubbed at her cool face at the mention.

"That I have. Cold air and dampness so easily unnerves the human physiology," He lightly shrugged one shoulder and looked at the Spartan before him. She was dressed in her usual fatigues plus a jacket zipped up to her collar bone. "I could almost say the same for you."

"Not quiet. It takes a bit more than prolonged storm exposure to put me under the weather. Heavy rain and armor just means being a little cold when I'm done is all." Jess popped one hip and rested against the table top behind her.

"Yes, well…that is why I opted to bring you this rather than a box filled with square white things I've suddenly been seeing around. The noises and fluids humans expel into them is quiet unnerving." Vora extended the hand holding a small white cup filled with hot liquid.

Jessie felt her cheeks heat up in embarrassed surprise before reaching out and gingerly wrapping both hands around the warm mug. She held it nearer her face and felt the steam curl around her nose. It smelled faintly of tea.

"Uh…thank you, Vora. It is a very nice thought," She worked a little harder to maintain sufficient eye contact. The Sangheili's mandibles expanded then tightened in a decently proud smile. A more subtle pat on the back for himself. "How'd you know where I was?"

"The armory was one of the few logical places you would go upon returning indoors. And," he tapped one figure against his nostrils. "I have a few ways of determining locations of certain people."

"Oh," Was her only verbal response alongside another rush of blood to her face. She gingerly took a sip of the drink, looking at Vora over the rim. "I should be warm in no time." Jess lifted the cup as emphasis.

He lowered his head slightly in acknowledgment. "I would be lying if I did not say I had also come here with another intent than to warm you with tea." His coppery eyes blinked a few times in rapid succession.

"What would that be?" Jessie took another drink, wincing as the hot tea scalded her tongue.

"I-uh…" Vora took a deep breath to steel himself. For as large an alien as he was, he managed to look somewhat unsure of himself for a moment.

"I wished to finish the matter of discussion from this morning before Peter interrupted us." Vora stepped forward once. Jessie refused to look him in the eyes, unsure of which part of the conversation he was referring to but quickly narrowing it down to what she was guessing he meant.

He did not take her silence as a refusal nor was a it complete consent. Vora shuffled closer again to test the boundary.

"I mentioned my brother and something in my life I felt was…absent." His eyes watched the woman before him. Her position did not change but he could sense her barriers being drawn up a bit. She blinked and rolled the cup in her hands. Vora could smell the herbal scent of the tea mixed with her usual vanilla and metal smell. The fresh scent of rain still clung to her. Vora constricted his top mandibles and gave an almost unnoticeable shake of his head, trying to keep his thoughts straight.

"Hmm…yes. I do remember you speaking of such." With that, she turned from him and grabbed a cloth off the table before stuffing it into the thigh pocket of her pants. Vora raised an eyebrow ridge in suspected rejection. Jess carefully edged herself by him and made sure her rifle was secure on the rack just as the armory door slid open.

Fred waltzed in. Dressed in his grey armor, he placed his gun on the now empty table. As soon as he stopped moving, the water on his armor began to pool at his feet. He spied Jessie and swiped two fingers across his visor in a curve then tapped them against his right temple. Silently signaling their need to talk the next time both of them were free.

"Lovely day for patrol. Never heard so much grumbling from marines." He said as both a greeting and goodbye. Jess smiled, "The minutes indoors are precious until the storm blows over." She tapped her temple in response to his signal. Her hand dropped from her forehead and sought out Vora's hanging loosely by his side. Positioning her body in Fred's line of sight, she wrapped her hand around three of his fingers and held their hands behind her back and guided the Ship Master from the room. Vora hoped Fred wasn't versed enough in Sangheilian facial expressions enough to notice the color change in his neck and cheeks.

The hallway outside of the was dim and deserted. This portion of the base typically became crowded during shift changes and when multiple squads were out scouting at the same time. One row of lights provided a bit of yellow light as the second worked feebly to stay on.

"You knew he was going to walk in." Vora stated about Fred's sudden appearance in the room.

"It's a skill you pick up when you spend so much time around a certain few individuals." Scoping out the corridor, she posed a question. "Any better place we could go…?" Jess trailed off at the end.

Vora glanced at the ceiling in brief thought. His neck straightened when an answer came to mind. "I know of a place." He did not expound upon his answer, but lightly tugged at their joined hands as he led them down the hall.

**UNSC BASE-15:00 HOURS**

Vora's loose finger rubbed idly over the back of Jess' had that was wrapped tightly around his three other fingers as he let himself into the room. As the door closed, he fiddled with the light switch and a few lights came to life. Low yellow light combined with the glow of a few sleeping terminals and lightning flashes out the window provided a somewhat calm atmosphere.

Jessie's hand left his as she navigated to the window taking up much of the far wall. She craned her neck to peer outside and spotted a familiar roof ledge.

"This is were you were earlier this morning," Vora lightly stepped down the few stairs and stood behind the Spartan, gazing out the window too. "I was up on that section of the roof." She pointed, careful not to leave finger smudges on the window.

"Yes. Some of my officers have been using this room to work. But, they are currently occupied with some business on the _Declaration_, so it is uninhabited for now." He watched Jess' breath condense on the cold window in front of them.

"There would be a nice view on a day with halfway decent weather." She commented offhandedly.

"I'll admit, nature views are something I have not had the time to appreciate recently. It has always been planets and stars from the bridge of the _Declaration_."

"My nature views always include lots of shooting and dead bodies."

"I will take this as quite the welcome break from the chaos of war." Vora stepped forward a little. He silently cursed the fact he was in his armor, but was simultaneously thankful his helmet lay discarded in his room.

Jessie could begin to feel the warmth of Vora's body heat as it filled the space around them. Between the cool window and her stint outside, she welcomed the extra heat. Since Elites kind of resembled reptiles, she was almost surprised by the amount of heat Vora radiated. Maybe she would bring up cold blooded versus warm blooded and such in conversation one day.

Gaze dropping from the window, Vora's eyes hunted for the hand that had been around his minuted ago, but was disappointed when he found it wrapped around the cup of tea instead. _"Get your head on straight! Are you really doing this?"_ His gaze moved to the back of her head._"You're a dignified Ship Master muddled in strange feelings like a boy just out of the keep! War is no time for this; think of all the lives on your shoulders. On hers! What makes this one so special? A human none the less, too!"_ Rather than bore a hole in her curly mop of hair, he switched back to the tea cup he was starting to feel, unadmittedly, jealous of. His conscious decided to answer his unspoken questions. _"…You admire her fire. The girl's got fight and sure as hell stands her ground. No one walks over her and she does not pine for the attention of a respected male like some of the females on the homeworld…And she is a soldier just like you. She understands loss, fighting for what you believe, and loyalty…and she's got the nerve to stand up to superiors…to you."_ As he pulled himself from his thoughts, Jessie was still facing the window.

Sucking in a deep breath of air for courage, Vora snaked his arms around the woman in front of him. His large hands sought out hers and the cup in their cool clutches. One hand loosed the cup from their grip and the other gathered both her hands in one palm. He angled his body back a bit so he could place the empty mug on the lip of the same table his old datapad lay discarded.

"It is empty. It will not be doing you any more good," Vora rumbled. Once the mug was not going to fall from the table perch, he brought his arm back around her body and placed it over his other hand. He noticed the palms of her smaller hands were warm from the drink he had brought her, but the backs still noticeably cool. "You humans are cold creatures. I do not see how you can survive in so many environments, let alone at all." teased Vora. His earlier wish to not be clad in his armor was lessened slightly as he thanked the gods it protected his erratic heart beats from her detection. His hearts were pounding a mile a minute with excitement, raw nerves, and shock at just how gutsy he was being. It was not a timid Sangheili woman in his arms, but a human who could very easily show him how much she might dislike his advances.

Jess tensed as she suddenly felt Vora's arms engulf her and take the mug from her hands. Her thoughts suddenly ranaway from her and her body decided to go on instinctual cues rather than ones determined by her. Jessie's breathing hitched and she could feel her heart beating against her chest. The alien dwarfed her, but his body easily molded to wrap around and fit her own. Her rational soldier mind told her to push him away and establish professional boundaries that had obviously been crossed, but her female Jessie mind repeated yet again all the reasons she knew she was falling for the man behind her. She was panicking, but she did not let it reach the surface. As his chest drew near, then pressed against, her back she felt him begin speaking and her ears rushed to comprehend what he said.

Jessie barely caught his comment about humans being hopelessly cold. "Uh-uh…well it is something we have always had to deal with-? I think it is just exaggerated by the godforsaken weather outside…" She mumbled. _"Shit…I sound pathetic. I blame it on never having rebellious teenage years nor any experience with aliens making moves-"_ She felt his arms tighten around her shoulders when she made no move to push him off. His hands also cupped around hers to keep them from fidgeting.

Vora's quiet chuckled reverberated through her back. "I am sure that is the reason." 'Ledum pressed himself closer. The front of his knees bent and molded to fit in the little curve behind her's. He shifted his weight down so his shoulders were only a little above hers.

A sudden flash of lightning quickly followed by a boom of thunder indicated the storm had fully manifested and settle in over the broken military base. It momentarily drew Vora's attention to the window, but the draw of the woman before him was much more enticing.

Jess jerked her head up to watch the clouds as did Vora. His attention was quickly diverted again and she issued a tiny gasp as his muzzle found the curve between her shoulder and neck which was created by her head looking up out the window.

When the gasp reached Vora's sensitive ears, he pulled Jessie closer to his body and snorted slightly against her clothed shoulder. He could smell her skin, but the jacket she wore and her shirt kept him from his goal.

Jessie could feel her cheeks on fire. No doubt there were flushed red. She experimentally flexed her fingers to see how much give they had while encased in Vora's hands. She could barely move her fingers and all she felt was the leathery smooth surface of his palms and the edges of the talons on the end of his fingers. Jess could hear his grunts and grumbles as his muzzle and mandibles fought with the hood and loose material of her jacket's shoulder. Her lips spread in a grin at Vora's frustration but quickly changed to an 'o' shape when he gave up on his fruitless attempts and quickly transitioned to the already bare skin of her neck.

Jessie sucked in a breath and her fingers flexed in shock, dull nails biting into his palms. Vora's gripped tightened momentarily and one of his fingers trailed across the back of her hands. Jessie's eyes widened and she tipped her head back. It did not have to go far before it dropped onto his shoulder pad. Exposing more of her neck to him, Vora widened his mandibles and drug his rough hot tongue up the length of flesh. Her next gasp was heavier than the last and it urged him on.

Head resting on his armored shoulder, she rolled it to the left and her nose brushed the column of his neck. She could feel the lip of his undersuit, but if she tilted her chin up, his skin too was exposed. In a moment of extreme brashness, she pressed her lips to his muscled neck.

She could both feel and hear the growl rumbling in his chest. Vora curled his neck to push it against Jess' lips and to further press his mandibles to her. At this point, both of their eyes were closed and they were working purely off feel and impulse. He laved his tongue across the sensitive pulse point he had discovered during their sparring session and his growl began to turn into a purr as Jess' ministrations took effect. He tried to press their bodies together even more, but his armor prevented any closer contact.

Jessie experimentally scrapped her teeth against his neck. His skin was much tougher and more leathery than a humans soft delicate flesh. He also smelled of a musk that could only be described as _alien_ and something close to sandalwood. She felt the grip on her hands loosen and one of his massive four fingered hands slipped away to clutch at her hip. His fingers gripped desperately at her hipbone and played with the hem of her bunched up jacket.

Suddenly, a loud trill filled the air. Vora stilled, growled loudly, then removed his head from Jessie. He began a few lilting sentences obviously not in english. The trill repeated once more and the pair's eyes met. Her's were hooded and his glazed. For a third time the shrill sound began, but sounded much more urgent; warranting attention. He bumped his muzzle to her forehead before saying, "I apologize. I must answer this." Jessie nodded in understanding. He did not need to explain anymore. They untangled arms and stepped away from one another. Jessie pulled at the bottom of her shirt and jacket and rearranged the hood before doing her best to smooth her helmet abused curls.

Vora turned from the window, pressed a finger to his earpiece and said, "Ship Master 'Ledum."

Jess watched him. She wrapped one arm around her stomach and rubbed vigorously at the marks she guessed would be forming on her neck. She could not hear the voice on the other side of the link, but she watched Vora's orange-copper eyes dance across the deck under his feet. He hummed worriedly in his throat.

"Yes, you can find me there. Bring 'Tellon and 'Cadeon with you." The conversation ended there and 'Ledum crossed his arms as he turned back to the Spartan.

"Everything alright? Sounded pretty serious." Her eyes searched his face for a hint.

"It seems there is trouble brewing on the _Triumphant Declaration_ in my absence. My second-in-command is coming to discuss it with me along with S'rin and Janu," He yanked the neck of his undersuit higher and brushed his palms down the front of his armor. "I am concerned some of the more influential Sangheili onboard are trying to rally troops against me."

"I should leave and let you put your full attention towards solving that problem." Jessie turned to leave but Vora's voice stopped her.

"No. You are currently the resident Spartan until Captain Keyes and I determine otherwise. I would like you to be here for this. It has the potential to turn violent and you will need to know the details if we must act." The Ship Master extended his arms towards her and bunched her hood around her neck to the best of his abilities. A smirk tugged at the end of his mandibles.

The corners of Jess' lips turned up and she brushed the empty cup and datapad aside to make room for her on the table. With a light hop, she planted herself comfortably on the top, legs crossed at the ankle.

Vora raised himself to his full height and clasped his hands behind his back as the door at the top of the steps opened. An Elite Jess had only seen a few times entered followed by Janu and S'rin. The Ship Master and his lieutenant exchanged the customary greetings and he decended the stairs to the Sangheili and human. Janu followed closely and S'rin a little behind.

S'rin's eyes narrowed as he drew closer to 'Ledum and Jess. Honestly, he was not expecting the Demon to be present. He looked between his Ship Master and her. Watching their perfectly masked emotions and actions, but the heady scent that hung in the air gave them away completely. Jess pulled back her sleeve to reveal a small black band on her wrist. Her head shot up and she silently swore.

"Ship Master," She reverted to formalities in the presence of an Elite she did not know. "I have to report for evening patrol. I can't stay for this meeting." Vora looked up from his lieutenant to her, gaze softening.

"Of course," S'rin tried to reign in his smile. "I will have someone deliver a report to you later tonight or fill you in myself. Good hunting." He waved her off and she retreated out of the room, followed by S'rin's goofy grin.

Muffling a choked cough laugh with a balled fist, S'rin ignored the elbow Janu drove into his ribs to turn his attention to the meeting at hand and a Ship Master who seemed to have a lighter air about him.

**I could go on, but I'll cut it there. Start right away on Ch.25! Admittedly, this chapter was the first time I've written a physical encounter to that extent, so it can only hopefully improve in future chapters. This fix already has an 'M' rating, but I haven't decided how far I will take it. Please review!**


	25. Instigation

_A Spartan's War_

A/N: Nothing to say other than I realized Vora's title can be spelled both 'Shipmaster' and 'Ship Master'. I am going to switch to the compound version since that is the most common spelling in other Halo media. Read and review!

_**Thanks to the reviewers: KATT9033, solaheartnet**_

**Chapter 25: Instigation**

**UNSC BASE-16:30 HOURS**

Stretching his back, Vora watched his lieutenant take his leave. Janu went to exit as well and shot his companion a warning look before retreating.

When the younger Sangheili made no move to leave, Vora raised an eyebrow ridge and tilted his brown head in question.

"Something I can do for you, S'rin?"

"Hmmm…nothing for me I can think of." His eyes gleamed and mandibles wagged loosely.

"I am not going to guess." Vora plainly stated.

"You sure have a stick up your ass at times…sir." S'rin shrugged and flexed his mandibles in a loose smile.

"And I need to know that why?"

"No reason," At the pointed look he was receiving S'rin continued. "Look, I'm only going to mention this since I have such a winning humorous personality and I know you won't kill me outright."

Vora stood motionless waiting.

"Want to explain what was going on in here before we arrived? The Demon seemed unnaturally calm and you…less intense. You two may have acted normally, but there is really no hiding it."

"You need this explained because?" Vora's stare was a little harsher. "It is my personal business and it does not involve you, 'Cadeon."

"I get that, but I'm not going to be the only one who notices…or comments. She smells like you and you smell very much like her. Plus, this part of the room smells like what you were hoping things would lead to before we interrupted."

"You think that matters to me?" Vora responded briskly, not the most comfortable with the stealth Sangheili prying into a very new development in the Shipmaster's personal life.

"Well, don't come crying to me when she breaks your heart."

"I can deal with whatever comes my way." the older Sangheili rubbed the tip of a his grey flecked nose with a tired hand.

Sensing his leader trying not to directly cold-shoulder him, S'rin spared him a glance before giving in and walking towards the exit. After mounting the stairs, he turned and made one last comment, "Oh, and by the way. If I were you, I'd hurry up and mark her. Don't, uh, want to give us other Sangheili any ideas. She's quite the little spitfire."

S'rin 'Cadeon scampered from the room to avoid the datapad thrown haphazardly at his head and possessive growl meant to deter the actions his statement might promise from other males in the area. He didn't mean anything by it himself, but he could not deny the presence of the Demon and what effect it may have on war weary Elite males who could easily spot a self-assured female. He shook his head, smirking before the bulk leaning against the wall caught his attention.

"You are very lucky 'Ledum likes you. Teasing and idle threats like that could get you in a lot of trouble, S'rin." Janu scolded lightly.

"Yeah, well, he knows I didn't really mean all of it. I guessed it best to bring such a subject up with a bit of humor than, say, you being all rough and stern with him." S'rin commented.

"That may be the case, but the Shipmaster knows where you sleep at night and he certainly is not a man who takes threats lightly. He is not in charge of an assault carrier for no reason." Janu pushed himself off the wall and rolled the shoulder which had become sore during his time spent waiting for his friend to leave.

"I will be alright. The Demon calmed him down a bit, so I was more comfortable bringing it up to his face than hers."

Janu tossed his head and settled a heavy hand on S'rin's armored shoulder. "She wouldn't understand half the things you said to 'Ledum. That tongue of yours is going to be the death of both of us one day."

"Both? I already know it can walk me into corners."

"I am around you too much and the problems it makes for you tend to leak onto me."

S'rin laughed. "You are just lucky an old man like you can make such good friends with a Sangheili like me."

"I like you better on stealth missions. Much quieter. Come on, we need to make sure Niro is still alive before meeting 'Ledum's second in command at the _Declaration_."

**PLANET SURFACE-17:30 HOURS**

"They let me see them." Fred spoke after close to an hour of silent scouting. He toyed with his assault rifle and pushed on through the wet brush.

"And?" Jess gripped her gun tighter and followed the path he made in the mud, pine needles, and other decomposing mulch.

"Will looks like shit, Tiffany looked close to a breakdown, and the Chief collected but obviously ready to blow a gasket." His HUD showed no contacts other than his scouting partner trailing behind him.

"It has all been hush-hush. Even with us. It is our squad that is in the middle of this for Christ sake." She wasn't too sure how to comfort Fred. Sometimes he wanted to express his thoughts and be heard, other times he was looking for a solution. Either one helpful to the problem or violent to work it out of his system. And now was not the time to offer to spar.

"I pressed to see the nurse who supposedly has it too, but I was denied. She must be dead or in some hellish state," Fred ducked under a low branch before continuing. "Will actually looked sick. He was all clammy and pale. His breathing sounded labored and it looked like he had a hard enough time holding his head up."

"Did you get a chance to speak to John?"

"No. He was brooding and at that point marines has been called in because I was apparently disrupting the other doctors. Tiffany did get a chance to tell me they think it is some sort of engineered virus. We've never seen a Spartan come down sick before. Halsey abused and built up our immune systems pretty well during training," He paused to climb over a few boulders. "The only good thing out of all this is the doctor I spoke to said they could release John and Tiffany in 24 hours if they do not begin exhibiting any symptoms."

"There isn't too much we can do without crossing lines. I tried to talk to Keyes before we came out here, but he avoided all my questions." Her helmet mounted lights traced Fred's movement in the growing dark.

"I think they have their heads up their asses and don't know anything. Nothing to go on and only four sick people to work off of. And scouting around the base will do shit! It is either the Innies or the planet itself and we can solve one of those problems by raiding the rebel headquarters." Fred stormed on, getting more frustrated.

"Fred," the man continued on his way, armored boots mashing into the soft ground. "Frederic!" He stopped and turned his helmet around to face her. The lights on the side of his visor momentarily blinded her before her helmet adjusted to the influx of light.

He stayed silent and waited for her to continue.

"I understand how concerned you are and desperately want answers. Marching around mad won't help. I want to storm the med bay as badly as you, but we've got to work on the outside to make sure we can find answers for the rest of the team. You and I have the responsibility of not only picking up three Spartans worth of slack, but also protecting all the UNSC personnel here. Focus the frustration on finding solutions. I do agree with you about the infection being intentional." His head swept back front as they resumed moving again, navigating in the eerie twilight.

"No pick me up like a military pep talk, eh?"

"Fred…" She warned.

"No, no, I'm not going to run off and do something stupid. I just needed to get it out in the open."

"Makes sense. Contact 12 meters ahead! Moving slowly, but steadily." Both Spartans simultaneously shut off their external speakers and switched from helmet lights to night vision. Jessie fell back and dropped behind a downed tree to provide Fred with sniper cover. The grey soldier took point and silently charted the terrain ahead of him.

The red dot approached slowly and the individual made little effort to mask their tromping through the undergrowth.

When the person was only a few meters off, Fred pounced from behind a sturdy pine. His rifle was level and he flicked the lights back on, blinding the man before him.

"Hands where I can see them!" Fredric demanded.

"What the fuck!" The man, who looked a little older than Fred and herself, crossed his arms in front of his eyes. Jess' scope stayed steady on his shoulder. She could wound him and take him in for questioning rather than outright killing him.

"I have a pistol in my right coat pocket! Don't-don't shoot me!" Fred kept a finger expertly balanced above the trigger and dug his other hand into the pocket with the pistol. When he withdrew his hand, he secured the weapon to his open thigh and once again steadied his rifle with two hands.

"State your business!" said Fred curtly.

Regaining some of his composure, the man responded, "I have a proposition for the leader of the UNSC base." He dropped one hand to swipe a bit of his shaggy brown hair from his forehead. He shuffled his feet a little.

"Move anymore and I'll blow your head off." Fred stated through clenched teeth.

_**"Easy does it, Fred**_**.**" Jess warned through the comm.

"Shit, I was hoping for marines," The man mumbled to himself. "Look, I think I can shed some light on the _situation_ you UNSC fellows have developing."

Jess took in his nondescript clothing. He wore sturdy boots to handle the wet climate, a jacket to ward off the bite of the evening and a simple jumpsuit that could be seen on anyone from a farmer to a dry-docks worker. Nothing that immediately pegged him as a rebel, but they couldn't be too careful. Especially since he was armed.

_**"Ask him how he knows.**_"

"How do you know about the _problem_?" Fred inquired for Jessie.

"I'm not at liberty to say. I said I wanted to meet with your Captain and that is what I intend to do."

"We are taking you in." Fred slung his rifle over his shoulder to secure it to the magnet. Then, he firmly grasped the man's biceps and forced his arms behind him and pushed him into a walk.

Jessie connected with the base command center before the pair reached her log.

_**"**_UNSC base, this is Sierra-057."

_**"Spartan-057, this is the UNSC forward operations base."**_

"Sierra-104 and I have subdued a local who wishes to speak with Captain Keyes. We are bringing him in for subsequent questioning."

_**"Petty Officer, this is Keyes. Did he elaborate?"**_

"Yes, sir. He said he has information to offer about our developing _situation_. The one in the med bay," Jacob Keyes' eyes shot up to look at the Shipmaster and human Lieutenant standing on the other side of the bank of computer terminals. Jessie's voice came over the comm system once again. "His alliance is unknown but any information about the-"

_**"Thank you, Spartan. I understand the situation. Go ahead and bring him in. The Lieutenant and I will want a debrief as soon as our new guest is settled." **_ Keyes cut Jess off mid sentence.

_"Damn…Vora must be in the room." _She thought at his sudden briskness.

"We should be back in about a quarter of an hour." Jessie closed the link and stood to greet Fred and new found companion.

**UNSC BASE-17:45 HOURS**

"Captain, I wish to know what is going on!" Vora pressed for the umpteenth time since the Spartans in the field radioed.

"It is of no concern to you, Shipmaster. Just some, uh, unfinished human business on this planet. No concern, really." Keyes shook his head in dismissal.

'Ledum crossed his arms tightly over his broad armored chest and switched his heavy glare from the unrelenting Captain to the much softer Lieutenant.

"Would you care to fill me in?" His voice dropped to a more civil level, but there was still plenty of strength behind the words.

Some of the technicians in the room not privy to that bit of information glanced up. Keyes quickly sent them back to work with a single look

"I-I uh, don't know anything?" The cowering Lieutenant said.

"I cannot stress to you my dislike for having information withheld from me. What are you _not sharing with me_, Captain?" Vora's mandibles clenched and gnashed in frustration.

"I can tell you as much: I am under orders not to release this information to those who do not already know. You happen to be one of those people, 'Ledum. Do not press the Lieutenant. He is not the cause of your anger." Keyes spat back.

"First my meetings with the officials have been indefinitely postponed and now I am having significant information withheld from me with no viable reason. I cannot make myself _any clearer_, human." Vora grouched, arms flexing over his thick chest. Further creating the image of angry, dangerous alien leader.

"You know very well deliberations have been cut short since the attack and developments with the planet's rebels. It is for their safety and us trying to provide clear minds for you. I know you do not want decisions clouded by the fear of further danger." Keyes responded in a dismissive air.

"My patience is quickly running thin. I am trying to _ask nicely_ and do this as _civil_ as possible." The imposing alien stalked around the terminals to stand an arm's length or so from Captain Keyes.

"As am I, Shipmaster." He leveled his aged stare up at the hard alien eyes. Before the confrontation could really evolve into something beyond angry words, an armored body wedge between the two. One hand placed on either's chest, Jessie pushed the two leaders apart. Applying a generous amount of pressure to dissuade either from trying to get past her.

"With all due respect, knock it off. The both of you," her voice became quieter as to not so loudly admonish the leaders in front of others. "This is no way for two leaders to act and it is childish." Vora strained against her palm firmly on his chest. Jess gripped the rim of his chest piece, gave him a firm shake, then push him back to his original standing point. His heated stare moved from the older Captain to the dark blonde woman between them.

"We will not have this conversation here, Spartan. Into the hall, soldier." Keyes ground out, the look on his face admonishing the Spartan.

Looking between the leaders to make sure they would not become confrontational again, she dropped her arms and snapped off a salute. Jessie retreated to the door. Not quite in the hall, but waiting for one or both to follow her. She also provided a silent promise to break things up again if the two could not leave in peace.

"I _will_ find out." Was Vora's stern promise as Jacob Keyes turned on his heel to follow his supersoldier from the room.

As he faced the terminals again, he was met with the wide eye, pale faced look of the Lieutenant. An agitated growl sent the officer scurrying from the room. His debrief with the Captain and Spartans could wait until he regained his wits.

He would find out what the humans were keeping from him. Jessie could not tell him since she had her orders. Keyes could not tell him since he too had orders. That meant it came from above both of them. Orange-copper eyes attempted to burn a hole in the terminals and a tendon in his neck twitched. Vora would get to the bottom of all this.

**UNSC BASE-INTERROGATION ROOM-18:30 HOURS**

Fred saluted the Captain as he walked into the room. Beyond the two-way mirror was the man the Spartan pair had apprehended hours prior.

"This him?"

"Yes, sir. He was intent on getting to the base one way or another." Fred replied.

"He has been completely compliant the whole way." Jess remarked.

"He was also carrying this." Fred pushed the pistol across the table to Keyes. The Captain picked up the weapon to examine it.

"It is an older model, but it looks modified so it's not necessarily military."

"Correct, sir. And it has no ammo. Wouldn't have done him any good."

"Has he said anything since you set him up here, Fred?"

"Not a peep. Except he really meant it when he said he wanted to talk to you." Fred pointed over his shoulder with his thumb.

"Is he a rebel?"

"Unknown, Captain. By the looks of his clothes, no, but we can't be too sure." Jessie answered.

"I am guessing he hasn't provided a name yet?"

"He refuses to give any additional information until you are present." Fred turned to face the mirror again. The man looked very calm regardless of the situation he was in. He slouched some in his chair and rested his cuffed hands on the tabletop, completely at ease.

"This is a little too convenient," Keyes' radio pinged and he pressed a finger to it to answer. "This is Keyes."

_**"Sir, the techs have finished combing through Spartan-126's helmet feed. They found nothing that could be related to the possible infection of Spartan-043."**_

"Were Spartans 043 and 117 running helmet cams by any chance?"

_**"No, and the doctors say the other two Spartans will be released in a day since they show no symptoms."**_

"I want the med bay reduced to skeleton crew for the next hour and interviews conducted. Is Spartan-043 still unable to speak?"

_**"It still causes him issue, but his doctor thinks he is witnessing a miraculous recovery. He is staying stable and not developing anything further."**_

"Alright. Report back in an hour. I want to know why only one soldier is ill."

_**"Yes, sir…**_" the man paused as something was said to him on the other side of the line. _**"It has been confirmed the nurse who fell ill was only in direct contact with 043. And she has been pronounced dead five minutes ago. She is being prepped for autopsy."**_

"Thank you. That will come in handy." Keyes closed his communicator and turned to the two healthy Spartans before him.

"We need to get whatever information that bastard has and now. The infected nurse just died, but William has plateaued."

"Shit," Fred mumbled. "Sir, you want to talk to him with me?" He gestured to the room beyond the two-way mirror.

"Yes." Fred began to lead them into the room and Jessie settled into a reinforced chair to monitor the interrogation. She hit a few buttons on the display to begin recording the proceedings and link the room to Keyes and Fred's comms.

"I am Captain Keyes. My Spartans said you wished to speak to me. I am willing to grant that wish for a little while." Keyes pulled his pipe from a pocket on his pants and began biting at the tip. Fred settled himself in the far corner. To watch and provide silent backup unless things went south.

The man looked shocked for a moment. Almost not believing he actually got an audience with the Captain. "Oh…um, well yes. Nice to meet you. As I told the soldiers, I have information about what is plaguing a supersoldier on this base."

Captain Keyes sat in the chair across the table from the brown-haired man. "Continue."

"I hope to keep this brief, so, here it all is," He reached into a concealed pocket in his coat and brought forth a syringe filled with clear liquid. His bound hands set it on the table, then lingered over the pocket before resting on the table edge. He spoke again. "It is an engineered virus created to combat the very soldier meant to take the Insurrection down. We have eyes and ears everywhere. We know extremely well the Spartan-IIs were created with the expectancy of full out civil war in Earth's systems within 20 years. But they were happily diverted when the Covenant attacked.

"Chemical and biological warfare may be dirty, but it is surprisingly efficient. The supersoldier who has been infected will slowly deteriorate. Slow enough to prompt him from being removed from active duty but not fast enough to encourage the creation of replacements. You made a bold move, Captain, bringing your entourage to our planet. We don't like the UNSC and we don't like aliens. Let alone aliens who sympathize with the UEG's dogs." He tilted his chair back and spared a glance at Fred, trying to determine if the Spartan was going to make a move.

_**"I don't like that syringe just sitting there. Get him to tell you if it is an antidote, the virus, or a bluff."**_ Jess radioed to Keyes and Fred.

"That is quite the admission, boy," Keyes drug his eyes over the man's face looking for any sign of lying. "Mind telling me what is in the syringe?"

"That, my dear Captain, is a gift for you." Without a moments notice, he jumped from his chair smacked something in his pocket and gripped the syringe tightly in his fingers. Fred leapt from his position in the corner to grab the rebel, but he had already managed to stab the needle through Keyes' sleeve and partially depress the syringe.

Arms looped around his middle, Fred threw him in the corner and rapidly cocked his pistol and leveled it at the lump on the floor. "Do not move." Fred ordered.

Jacob Keyes yanked the needle from his bicep and tossed it away. Small beads of blood pooled through his sleeve and he shrugged out of the top portion of his uniform to the undershirt beneath. He clutched the muscle as a sharp zing traveled from his shoulder to fingers.

"God dammit!" Jessie tried to make a steady connection with Fred's helmet comms and the med bay but every connection failed. She held her pistol loosely in one hand but Fred seemed to have that problem under control. Instead, she resorted to typing a quick message and sent it to Fred.

**Petty Officer Second Class Spartan-057: Something is jamming comm signals. I'm going to get a bio haz team.**

**Lieutenant, Junior Grade Spartan-104: Hurry. I've got things under control here. I'll keep trying to raise the base.**

**Petty Officer Second Class Spartan-057: Seal your suit and turn on breathing filters. Don't want you getting infected.**

**Lieutenant, Junior Grade Spartan-104: Already done. Go.**

Jess dashed for the door but opted for the gaping hole in the wall curtesy of Innie grenades the last time she was in this room. She made record time to the med bay and slammed the door open before raising her voice.

"I need a bio haz team _now_! Captain Keyes is in need of medical attention," She watched techs and doctors scramble before four men in yellow hazard suits met her at the door. "Double time!"

The group ran from the room and Jess jogged to keep pace with them. As they traveled the length of the base, they passed the Lieutenant who reached out a hand to stop the Spartan. She flicked off his hand and spun to face him. Realizing who had grabbed her, she dropped her guard somewhat, but the adrenaline still pumped through her system.

"What's happened?" He asked.

"Keyes has been infected. I need you to go to the command center and try and figure out what is jamming our frequencies. Chain of command falls to you with Keyes indisposed."

"Yes, yes. I'll go do that. When the situation is cleared up come talk to me." Ordered the Lieutenant before he spun on his heel and beat tracks in the other direction.

When Jessie returned to the interrogation room, Keyes had been moved to the small observation room and was surrounded by the men in yellow suits.

Fred still had his pistol trained on the rebel who had a nervous but reckless grin plastered on his face. "Toss him in the brig."

"You read my thoughts exactly." Fred yanked the man to his feet and dug the muzzle of his pistol into his lower back. "Walk." He growled.

By this time, Keyes had been sedated and loaded onto a stretcher. The biohazard team began to move back towards the med bay. One of the responders held a clear bag with the syringe inside. Jess called out to him.

"Will having some of the virus help in anyway?"

"Oh, yes. We can analyze it and pretty easily develop a vaccine. Thank goodness he didn't have enough time to deliver a whole dose. It may save the Captain and allow us to have access to the virus."

"So you expect Keyes to survive?"

"With the resources now available to us, my best guess is yes. And we should be able to help the Spartan too. I don't know if they will walk away without any lasting problems, but they shouldn't die." He reached out to settle a comforting hand on her forearm, but Jess shrugged away from him.

"Fred will follow you to the med bay once he has taken care of our guest. Keep him updated on the progress."

"Yes, ma'am."

**UNSC BASE-20:00 HOURS**

When Jessie walked into the command center, it was practically deserted. The few people assigned graveyard shift quietly went about their business at the late hour.

The Lieutenant was standing at a terminal looking over a woman's shoulder as she typed frantically.

Vora was standing by a bank of empty computers. He looked tired, but just as irritated as he was earlier in the day.

The Lieutenant shifted his focus from the woman's screen to the Spartan. "Ah, Petty Officer. Glad you arrived so soon," He stepped away from the console and waved the female soldier over to the holotank in the middle of the room. "We've had little luck confirming what is blocking all our frequencies. We do know it extends beyond the immediate area of the base. We are essentially cut off, silent." His attention was completely focused on Jessie then dropped to the holotank. It was obvious he was trying to avoid the elephant in the room, more like the large alien in the room.

"When I could not contact my second in command on the _Triumphant Declaration_, I offered to have some of my men help. Your _Lieutenant_, refused my offer." Vora spoke up from his place across the room. Stressing the difference in rank.

"If your technicians started helping we would have too many irons in the fire." The Lieutenant dismissed Vora's complaint. Jessie removed her helmet and balanced it on the edge of the holotank. She lifted one eyebrow. _"Now he grows a pair."_she thought.

"We typically have very little issue getting comms through simple human jamming frequencies. That is not the case this time." Vora shot back.

"It is being worked on. At this point there is not much more we can do but allow them to work their magic," He gestured to the woman he was working with a moment ago. "There was also something else I wanted to talk to you about." He turned his attention back to Jessie

"What is it, sir?"

"Is the boy you picked up a few weeks ago still on base?" The Lieutenant tried to ignore the sounds of rustling armor as Vora shifted behind them.

"Yes," Jessie's mind began to run through a million scenarios why the Lieutenant would be interested in Peter. "What significance does that hold?"

"I believe it is time he be returned to the local populace. He provided limited information prior to the raid on the base and, frankly, is not safe in a military establishment under extreme stress." Jessie scrunched her eyebrows in confusion.

"I do not see how this is pertinent."

"He is yet another connection between the UNSC and this dreadful planet. If he is returned to his home tension might ease a little bit and I no longer have to worry about some child getting caught in the crossfire." responded the Lieutenant.

"Sir, he has no place to go." Jessie prepared further argument, but the presence that moved to her side continued for her.

Hands braced on the holotank next to Jessie's helmet, Vora spoke. "I must object this topic of conversation. Lieutenant, you are worried and looking for some simple issue to solve. The boy is of no concern to you right now and I consider him my ward. I outrank you on that matter and will hear not further argument," His fingers flexed and gripped the metal lip. "You are also avoiding the problem at hand simply because I am present. I refuse to leave the room and demand to know what is truly going on!" 'Ledum bent his neck to level his burning gaze at the human.

Doing his best to retain some of the courage he had recently built up, the Lieutenant glanced at Jessie, but her postures said she wasn't going to come to his aid. It was now between the vexed Elite and him.

"I-" he took another breath. "I guess it does more harm than good to keep you in the dark any longer. I am disobeying direct orders from an Admiral, you know."

"I am aware of such. I am lenient with troops who ignore blatantly poor orders." Vora pressed.

"Here goes," The Lieutenant looked at the holo-projected base and city in the wooded area alongside the display of the two spacefaring ships waiting in a grassy plain.

"Late last night three Spartans were sent out to scout after we were attacked. When they returned the following morning, one of them began to exhibit mildly odd behavior that began to increase," He managed to make eye contact with the Shipmaster again. "It was determined they were infected with some virus and it has been recently confirmed to be engineered to kill Spartans but seems to work even faster on the regular human body." the Lieutenant concluded.

Shipmaster 'Ledum exhaled through his nostrils, mulling over the new information. "Thank you for telling me, Lieutenant. Things will go much smoother now."

"Fred is monitoring the Captain and Will right now. He will report to me if there any significant developments. We will also visit the rebel in the brig with more questions later." Jess told the base's Lieutenant. During the conversation, one of Vora's hands had dropped from the tabletop and began playing with one of the seams on Jessie's armor. When she finished speaking, she subtly batted his fingers away. He fluttered his mandibles a bit coyly.

"Alright, Spartan. Text based messaging seems to be the best route of communication. At this point it is up to the technicians and doctors to get results. Rather than stand around and twiddle our thumbs, I'm sure there is other business to be taken care of in the mean time." the Lieutenant picked up a pad next to him as a message flicked across the screen and he turned away to answer it.

"I should brief you on the meeting you left to go on patrol." the Shipmaster's gloved fingers tried to poke at her undersuit visible around her waist.

"Sure," Jess tried to dislodge his fingers, aware of the few people still on late night shift. "But let's make it quick. I want a chance to sleep before duty rolls around tomorrow."

"Of course."

**Guess what? I already have the next chapter started! I'm not going to be able to update for the next few days so I'm doing what I can now to get things poster. Please review!**

**-Masterful-Mind**


	26. Breach

_A Spartan's War_

A/N: This is the shortest author's note I've ever written.

_**Thanks to reviewers: KATT9033**_

**Chapter 26: Breach**

**UNSC BASE-20:30 HOURS**

Vora opted to bring Jessie back to his room to fill her in on the sudden meeting she had missed. Part of that decision was his helmet sat on his desk. If his second-in-command managed to get anything through the lines of communication, he wanted to be near it. And Peter had practically been abandoned with a stranger for the majority of the day.

Hoping not to disturb the boy, 'Ledum quietly opened the door just wide enough to squeeze his sturdy frame through and held it open for the Spartan to follow.

The lights were off, but the lamp normally situated on the desk was glowing softy in the far corner. Peter was laying on his stomach with his bear and what looked to be plain paper and colored pens.

As the door clicked closed, his head popped up to face the two adults in the room. His eyes were a little wide and his mouth slack like a child caught doing something they were not supposed to be.

"I expected you would be in bed by now." Vora addressed the boy.

"I couldn't sleep." He rolled into a sitting position. Jessie deposited her helmet next to Vora's then went over to kneel by Peter.

"What are you doing?" She watched as he sat his bear up near his knee then picked up a piece of paper covered in a few colorful patterns.

"I decided to draw."

"You are quite the little artist." Jess took the paper when it was offered to her. Vora took the brief lull to see if any messages had gotten through to his helmet comm. When nothing showed up, he glanced over to look at the colored paper Jess held out to show him.

"Very nice, Peter." He complimented the small child.

"The marine lady wanted me to spend the night with her," Peter suddenly said. "I don't think she felt comfortable leaving me with you guys."

Jessie and Vora shared a look. Of course the woman would not feel at ease leaving a small boy under the care of an alien she fought in a war or a supersoldier many marines saw without humanity.

"It doesn't matter, Peter. We've got cots set up in our rooms so you will be comfortable with either of us." Jess told him softly.

"I know." Peter replied as he turned back to pick up a red pen.

"It is late, little guy. You do need sleep. Come on." Jess stood up and motioned for him to climb into a small cot at the bottom of Vora's bed.

"Fine." Peter gathered his drawing materials and deposited them in a desk drawer before picking up his bear. Jessie pulled back the cover and the boy climbed in before rolling over with the intent to sleep. Once he was settled, Jess looked to Vora. He held up a datapad and settled himself on the floor.

Jessie sat down across from him and looked at the message on the pad he handed her.

**Shipmaster 'Ledum, Vora: This will be the easiest way to communicate while Peter tries to sleep.**

**Petty Officer Second Class Spartan-057: Agreed. What did I miss?**

**Shipmaster 'Ledum, Vora: My second-in-command had noticed an influx of activity among a group of Sangheili we know to be Covenant Loyalists.**

**Petty Officer Second Class Spartan-057: What is being done about it? Do you have enough troops committed to you to take care of any loyalists?**

**Shipmaster 'Ledum, Vora: At this point in time it does look like I hold the majority of the ship in terms of popular opinion. My lieutenant has identified the leader as a Sangheili recently transferred to my ship. One Bof 'Astiree. Janu and S'rin are going to return to the **_**Triumphant Declaration **_**to monitor their activity, but it will have to be held off until communication is back up.**

**Petty Officer Second Class Spartan-057: Are you planning on returning to your ship?**

Jessie handed the datapad to Vora again. He crossed his legs and she leaned back against the bedframe. He shook his head no and passed the pad back to her.

**Shipmaster 'Ledum, Vora: Not at the moment. I am allowing my lieutenant to take care of the problem for now. I have enough going on here I decided to leave it in his capable hands. Though, I will return for some time if it gets out of control.**

**Petty Officer Second Class Spartan-057: If you know who is stirring up your crew, why not bring him back here and lock him in the brig. He could spend some quality time thinking over his actions.**

**Shipmaster 'Ledum, Vora: That is a possibility I will have to think over. Now, I am sure you want to retire to your quarters to rest before you have to report in tomorrow.**

Jessie reached for the pad holding his comment. She held it and read it over. Jess was typing a response when Vora's crossed legs lifted and dropped over her's. She shot him a look, but his face remained emotionless.

**Petty Officer Second Class Spartan-057: That is my plan, but I have one question first. When we were in the command center, what the hell drove you to start fiddling with my armor?**

Vora looked at the text and shrugged, face still remaining impassive. As Jess' morphed to look slightly annoyed his mandibles danced in a smirk. He didn't pass the datapad back so she whispered, "You're impossible, you know that?"

'Ledum tapped the side of his head indicating he didn't hear what she said. She leaned closer and repeated, "You're impossible, you know that?"

Waiting for a response, he cupped around where his ear would be if he were human. Jessie rolled her eyes and scooted even closer. "You're impossible, you know that?"

"I have been told that a few time in my life." He whispered back. Now, they were very much in each other's personal space.

"You, uh, want to talk about what all that was earlier today?" She questioned. Vora's fingers were back at her armor. Pushing against and pinching the undersuit between her hipbone and thigh. She tried to ignore what he was doing to listen for an answer. He curled his legs back under him and responded.

"What is there to discuss? I certainly enjoyed what went on…and I would assume you did as well." When her face turned pink, he took that as a yes. He dug his fingers into her side and felt the give of her skin on top of bone.

"I just-" She paused to think and watch his head as it bobbed in front of her. "I'm not sure what to think. I don't want to over analyze things and-" With the hand not rubbing her hip, Vora silenced her with a finger to the lips.

"Then do not think. Simply feel." Her response was to grasp the hand at her mouth and hold it before her. She tugged a few times until his glove loosened and slid off his hand.

"I've seen you without gloves a few times…" She trailed off as she held his hand towards the soft light from the lamp in the corner. The back of his hand was brown with a few spots of grey discoloration. His palm was a shade lighter and soft from prolonged glove wear but she could feel the old callouses and leathery texture they used to hold before the war. At the end of each finger was a talon. The tip was rounded, yet they were sharp enough to do damage if need be. His fingers were much larger than her's, maybe two or three times the width of her own. And he only had four where her hand had five.

"Why do you keep them filed?" She whispered as she delicately traced a finger up one side of his finger, over the tip of his talon, then traced it down the back of his hand to the wrist. The palm and fingers working her side stilled and simply kept a firm grip.

"Keeps me from tearing through my uniform gloves and it is easier to shoot when they are shorter and rounded." He answered quietly.

"You should take the gloves off more often."

"Well, they are part of my uniform, but many Sangheili opt not to wear them. I have developed the habit and I am now around humans more often and they tend to be uncomfortable with visible talons." He flipped the hand she held and in turn grasped her's.

Seeing he was going to conduct the same inspection of his hand, she helped him pull of the glove she wore while in armor. Vora gazed questioningly at her and she nodded her head. Telling him it was okay to go ahead and feel her hand.

He used a finger to unfurl and flatten her fingers. Her palm was smooth with no callouses whatsoever. Spartan religious glove wear the cause. Four of her fingers were slim and long and there was a fifth short finger on the side of her hand. A thumb humans called it. The hand was the same pale color as the woman's face and arms when she was in fatigues. Flipping her hand over in his grip, he could see her knuckles under the skin and a fine lattice work of scarring. Each finger contained a nail that was cut short and when he pressed a finger to them, dull. Humans obviously did not use their fingernails for fighting or self defense.

Vora couldn't think of anything to say and Jess was quietly watching him do his inspection. His sensitive ears picked up her slightly heavier breathing. He dipped his neck so his head was even with her.

Jessie gently pulled her hand free from his and removed her other glove before reaching out to her new target. She extended her hand slowly and her blue eyes searched his. He granted permission by lowering his head a bit more and presenting the woman with his muzzle.

The tips of her fingers grazed the side of his mandibles. They tightened momentarily before resting loosely. Gently, Jessie selected his lower right mandible and ran a finger on the underside. Vora's warm breath ghosted over her fingertips and he emitted a strangled purr. Carefully, she settled the pad of one finger on the sharp point of a tooth.

"They are a sharp as they look." She mumbled. 'Ledum flared his mandibles and a few teeth grazed against the backside of her hand. The mandible was long and the same color as the rest of his face. When open they showed the inside of his mouth and teeth.

Vora knew his hormones and pheromones were raging. He pushed his instincts and urges aside to allow the woman sitting with him to move at her own pace. It brought back thoughts of the quick conversation with S'rin that afternoon. His purr took on a rougher edge and he promised himself if anyone got between the Shipmaster and Spartan there would be hell to pay.

When his purr became more guttural, Jess retracted her hands from his face. "Everything alright?" She questioned.

"Yes, yes. Just got caught up thinking about something." He said meekly, embarrassed for being caught not focusing on the actions at hand.

"Want to tell me about it?"

"It is something I need to think about and you do not need to worry," He mentally scolded himself and filed it away to really think about later. Leaning forward, Vora pressed his face against Jess' ear. "As much as I am enjoying this, you do need to get some rest." He nipped her ear lobe before withdrawing and standing up.

He heard Jessie's agitated huff and offered a hand to her. She gripped it and he helped her to her feet. They gazed at one another for a moment then Jess picked up her helmet from the table. Vora had moved to the door to unlock and open it.

"I will see you around." With a burst of confidence, Jess stood up on the tips of her toes, pressed a light kiss to the side of Vora's face where his mandibles met his cheek, secured her helmet over her head and walked out of the room.

Vora watched her go, purring softly. Once the door was closed and latched again, he made sure Peter was asleep before stripping out of his armor. He removed the top portion of his bodysuit. Clad in just the pants and soft hoof covers Vora collapsed on the bed.

**UNSC BASE-MEDICAL CENTER-01:00 HOURS**

The Master Chief began pacing the length of his quarantine room again for the umpteenth time. It was very early in the morning but he was restless and there was too much going on to warranty any kind of rest.

He kept watch as doctors and nurses scrambled around the bed containing the body of Jacob Keyes. He had been sedated and the medical professionals were working over time to develop a viable vaccine from the leftover virus in the syringe they had retrieved.

As he turned to begin another pacing pass, John watched Tiffany try and fitfully rest on the provided cot and Will resting under the aid of sedatives.

"Move aside! Move aside!" A short doctor in a rumpled white lab coat pushed her way through the mass of people surrounding the Captain. She held a metal syringe delicately in her hand and pushed the needle into the IV attached to Keyes' arm.

Once the vaccine was administered, she turned to a young nurse. "He should wake in a little bit. When he does, give him a standard physical and if he comes up clean, release him. I think we got to the virus before it could do anything."

The doctor filled another syringe with the vaccine and wrapped a medical mask around her face before going into Will's room to do the same.

Next, she stopped in front of John.

"Master Chief, I should be able to release you and Tiffany from quarantine in a few hours. Hang tight, you're almost through."

John nodded to the doctor and resumed pacing. He needed to file reports when he got out, hit the gym, clean his weapons, check his armor, check in with the rest of his team, and ensure Will pulled through.

If there was one thing the Master Chief could not tolerate, that was idleness.

**UNSC BASE-02:30 HOURS**

Jacob Keyes scratched the back of his head. He vaguely remembered being strapped to the stretcher and hitting his head on it. He moved carefully across his room, removing his uniform jacket and draping it across the back of the desk chair.

He stretched his arms and took a small sip of water from the glass on his bedside table. He felt fine, but the doctor had told him to take it easy to make sure nothing remained in his system.

After enough analysis, it was determined Captain Keyes had no chance of spreading the virus to anyone else on base, but he was still in recovery mode. Wiped from the day's events, he sat on his bed to read one quick report before he succumbed to sleep.

**UNSC BASE-04:00 HOURS**

"Got it!" The woman exclaimed. She experimentally tried to connect to the comm link sitting on the desk next to her. When it beeped with an incoming transmission, she shut it off and did a little fist pump of success.

Immediately she looked for the list of people she was supposed to contact if she was successful.

A few minutes later, a motley group of people began to burst into the command center. All looking weary having been roused from sleep minutes prior.

Captain Jacob Keyes was the first one to slam open the doors and demand what was going on. He was clad in the bottom half of his uniform and a worn sleep shirt, his feet only covered in socks.

Fred bound into the room next only dressed in a light pair of sleep pants and dogtags, hopping around a bit as he tried to tug on his untied boots.

In the meantime, Jessie rushed in barefoot in a tank top and loose fatigue pants. She joined the pair at the holotank while the tech began transferring her discoveries to the display.

Vora showed up next in his undersuit pants and finished tightening the last clasp on his armored boots. He caught Jess' stare and wagged his mandibles. She had never seen him without a shirt on before.

"What is he doing here?" Keyes questioned.

"The Lieutenant told him what was going on, sir." Fred commented while rubbing vigorously at one sleepy eye.

As if hearing his name, the Lieutenant stumbled into the room doing his best to pull on a shirt that matched his sleep shorts.

"We will have to talk about that later." Jacob Keyes purposefully ignored Vora's glare and he once again resumed his stance of thick arms crossed over his muscled chest.

Attempting to be low key in her appraisal, Jess raked her eyes over Vora's uncovered chest and arms. She took in his long muscular arms and broad chest. She could appreciate the brown of his skin and the slight grey flecking that continued down his ribs to his navel. Yes, she had seen many fit male bodies before; Fred standing across the holotank from her as a prime example, but something about Vora's stature made her palms sweaty and she had a difficult time maintaing eye contact in his vicinity.

To make matters worse, the half dressed Sangheili walked over to stand next to her. To distract herself and maybe cover up her staring from the alien, she settled her eyes on Fred's collar bone. Following her line of sight, Vora narrowed his eyes at the male Spartan, but the dark haired pale man was too bleary to even notice the exchange.

"What did you find, Private?" The Lieutenant asked while trying to smooth down a pillow induced cowlick on the side of his head.

All the displays popped up on the holotank and the technician settled herself between Keyes and the Lieutenant. Of the group she was the only one who looked halfway presentable in a heavily caffinated state and dressed in standard fatigues.

"As you know since I managed to radio you all here, I got through the scrambled frequencies. Communications are up an running unless something changes. That goes for both UNSC and Elite comms." she looked at both Keyes and 'Ledum at the last part.

"This was some of the most sophisticated jamming frequencies I have ever encountered working in the military. I could recognize some familiar parts the UNSC and Covenant frequently use to jam one another, but the rebels sure buffed it up. While trying to isolate the signal, I stumbled upon what seems to be Innie HQ."

The woman highlighted a warehouse near the edge of the city. She then zoomed in the display and a building layout was visible. "It is certainly the source. I also managed to reverse some of the source code so I now have access to their network. I thought you all would want to know. If plans are to go on the offensive, I currently have a decent amount of control over their systems until their take a good look at the network or introduce an AI," She paused to let the flood of information sink in. "One more thing. There was a secondary signal. It was doing most of the jamming on the Elite's comms. I've managed to temporarily disable it, but I think it is coming from your vessel, Shipmaster."

The gears turned in Vora's head. Immediately he turned from the table, raised a finger to his ear and activated his comm. The message roused his second-in-command who quickly answered. "Gather 'Tellon and 'Cadeon. I want 'Astiree detained and his followers dispersed. Bring him to the base's brig and assign 'Reshin guard duty," Vora nodded as his lieutenant responded. "Be on the look out for any active jamming systems. Once that is taken care of, rendezvous with me."

As his arm dropped from his head, Jessie could see a long tan scar that ran from the top of his right shoulder down to the middle of his ribs. She filed it away as something to ask about another time.

"The Sangheili side shall be taken care of presently."

Keyes sighed then started to relay the plan he was devising. "The two Spartans not infected will be released from the medical bay in a few hours. Once they are deemed ready to return to active duty, we will mount an assault," Keyes then addressed Vora. "Will your ground team be ready?"

"My second-in-command is leading a grab now and it should be finished before you plan to mount a frontal assault."

"Alright. I will finalize plans with the Lieutenant and distribute orders at 08:00 hours. Ladies, gentlemen, I recommend you get a little more shut eye or begin preparing for a hot deployment. Dismissed."

Fred made for his room to catch a little more sleep. Keyes and the Lieutenant began deliberating with the technician. Vora was part of the ground team for this mission, so he allowed the human leadership to begin devising a plan without him. Jessie exited the command center tailed by the Shipmaster.

"I better go get armored up and run a systems check…" Jess told 'Ledum.

"And I've got a snatch and grab to oversee…I will see you in a few hours." Jessie nodded and Vora quickly brushed his mandibles over the top of her head before the pair went their separate ways.

**Three chapters in one day. I am on a roll. No guarantees on a fourth, but that should hopefully be up by the end of this week/beginning of next.**

**-Masterful-Mind**


	27. Besiege

_A Spartan's War_

A/N: Since I am back updating this story, I may go back yet again to older chapters and do a bit of editing. Keep characters constant, fix any plot holes, adjust things accordingly, you know the drill. Just a heads up since it may delay new updates a bit. I want to make sure the story still works in its entirety as do my characters. Jess may need a bit of a fix in older chapters to fit how I am writing her now over a year since I last did. That's all. Please review!

_**Thanks to the reader who added my work to their favorites list or alert list: Hannibalrider**_

_**Thanks to reviewers: KATT9033, solaheartnet, and Ella Davis**_

**Chapter 27: Besiege**

**UNSC BASE-05:00 HOURS**

Niro heard the angry group approaching before they even entered the brig. S'rin and Janu walked in tugging a fighting and swearing Sangheili. He had been stripped of his armor and was yelling loudly in Sangheili.

"Niro! Get the door!" Janu yelped as a hoof kicked his unarmored knee.

With a final struggle, the two Elites managed to push their captive into the cell. Niro slammed the grated door shut and quickly locked it on the small terminal mounted in the wall.

"Watch this piece of filth until the Shipmaster arrives." Janu instructed Niro.

S'rin settled a hand on Janu's elbow and helped navigate the older Sangheili to the exit. He had a small limp from the strong blow to his knee. "Let's get that looked at before we have to rush out and fight anyone else."

When the other men from his team left, Niro leaned against the opposite wall and leveled his mild gaze at the raging prisoner.

"What are you looking at, pup?" The angered Sangheili spat. Niro did nothing but blink and continue his vigil. He stomped around his enclosure and tore the gloves off his bodysuit and tossed them on the bench. His hands curled and flexed while he circled.

The atmosphere noticeable changed when Vora stepped into the dim room. He approached the bars and stood proudly, hands clasped behind his armored back, helmeted head held high.

"Bof 'Astiree." 'Ledum ground out.

"Vora 'Ledum." 'Astiree growled back.

"You have been more trouble than you are worth since the day you were transferred to my ship." Vora watched the temperamental Sangheili stand tall, but it did nothing to effect the larger alien _not_ behind bars.

'Astiree did not respond. He only narrowed his eyes a fraction and lifted his top lip to display more teeth. Niro quietly snorted at the display. It would take more than that to dissuade the Shipmaster.

"I was willing to deal with those in my crew who still harbored beliefs supported by the Covenant, but needlessly stirring others up and intentionally deploying tech without a direct order is too far," Vora barred his teeth back at the caged Sangheili. "You are a dishonorable soldier and a coward."

"Big talk coming from a Sangheili who has allied himself with humans. You, Shipmaster, have strayed from the Great Journey and must pay for your deviance!" Bof rumbled in frustration.

'Ledum's barred teeth changed into a hardened expression. "Be that as it may, I certainly hold the upper hand nor have any intentions of allowing you to continue rallying loyalist support."

'Astiree paced a few times then halted with his hands fisted by his sides. "I will let you believe that for now."

Vora turned and motioned for Niro to follow him. The two warriors stood in the hall away from the cells and Vora asked, "Are the communication logs still intact on the _Declaration_?"

Niro shook his head. "No, Janu said they had been wiped remotely when he checked them. He had the same suspicion. The basic bridge crew did not catch it in time."

Vora swore a few colorful Sangheili swears. "I fear 'Astiree and his loyalists may have contacted the Covenant. Who knows how much they were able to relay, but we may have a hostile cruiser in this system soon."

"Shall we alert the humans?"

"No, not now. I do not want to needlessly frighten them. 'Astiree should not be going anywhere, so I want you to report back to the ship and have the crew there monitor any slipspace jumps in our vicinity. Keep communications on board locked down tightly as well. Report anything out of the ordinary to me and meet the ground team back here by 08:00." Vora ordered his subordinate.

Niro snapped off a Sangheilie salute. "Yes, Shipmaster."

Vora rubbed his eyes before alerting Captain Keyes and the Lieutenant of their second guest in the brig. He needed some time to collect his thoughts before he resumed questioning the Covenant loyalist.

**UNSC BASE-06:00 HOURS**

Jessie cradled her helmet under one arm as she used the other to push open the door leading to the cell block. She intended to have a lengthy talk with the resident Insurrectionist, but the large body in anther cell drew her attention. Rather than turning left and making her way to the end of the row of cells, she turned right and walked down that half.

She came to a halt and peered at the bodysuit-clad Elite sitting on the bench. His hands rested on his knees and his head was reclined to lean against the cool metal wall of the cell. One eye cracked open when the sounds of her MJOLNIR reached his ears.

"A Demon decides to grace me with its presence? Or did 'Ledum send his lackey to rough me up a bit?" The grey Elite taunted.

"Cut the attitude, split-lip." Jessie sneered.

'Astiree clicked his tongue. "I didn't mean anything by it."

"I wouldn't think a member of the Covenant like you would bother learning english. Humans are certainly _not worth your time_." Jess commented.

"Ah, it helped keep up appearances with the Shipmaster and his little band of heretics." 'Astiree's yellow eyes roved over the human soldier through the bars of his cell. The human did not look happy to say the least, but her voice did very little to betray her anger. Her voice was firm as she responded to his snide comments.

"So you played along until you didn't like the game anymore." The Demon sunk her weight onto a leg and balanced her helmet on the popped hip. Her blue eyes were dark and cold. Bof could easily pick up the heavy smell of her metal armor, but his keen nose also picked up what he thought might have been a trace of a Sangheili's initial claiming scent.

"What is the human term? Guilty as charged?" The supersoldier only pursed her lips and 'Astiree chuckled. He was going to continue, but another person approached his cell.

"If you know what is best for you, you will be silent, 'Astiree." Vora settled his gold helmet on his head and addressed the prisoner.

"You returned for me, Shipmaster." Bof let another snide comment loose.

Jessie rolled her eyes at his audacity. "I need to speak to him and he is rather unpleasant as you have had the pleasure of finding out." Vora stated lowly to Jess. She understood his unspoken request for her to leave them and nodded.

"I was on my way to have a chat with my own charge anyway." She dipped her head in goodbye and Vora gave a gentle push on her back to move her down the hall. When she had exited the right wing and he heard the door to the left wing open and close, he turned back to the loyalist.

"So," Bof began, always the one with a harsh tease. "She's the one?"

Vora's nostrils flared, but he remained quiet

"Quite the temper on her. You never struck me as a human lover as much as you sympathized with them, Shipmaster. Though, the Demons are truly a force of nature." Bof wagged his eyebrow ridges at the other Sangheili, hoping to get a rise out of him.

Vora was practically biting his tongue not to unleash himself on the imprisoned warrior. He could feel his talons biting trying to bit through the gloves to bury themselves in his palms.

"I'd-hmmm-take _care_ of her before someone else, uh, _does_." Bof's mandibles creased in a small sick smirk as 'Ledum's posture tightened just a fraction of an inch.

"I am the one who is here to talk." Vora carefully foxed each word out of his mouth. Though his tone clearly stated _you touch her and I __**will**__ kill you_.

"Then start talking. Standing there silent does neither of us any good."

"I want to know why you activated the jamming systems on the _Triumphant Declaration_."

"You haven't figured it out yet? Shipmaster, you are certainly more dense than your reputation lets on," 'Astiree rose to his feet and paced closer to the crisscrossing bars of the cell. "I would rather not admit it, but my interference with additional communications scrambling was actually helping you. I know the breakaway human group decided to tamp down on all comms on the base. In turn, my interference stopped theirs. As soon as your stealth warriors apprehended me and forced my men to disable the jammers, they regained all communication."

"Why are the rebels of any consequence to you?"

"That is a bit of information I am going to hold onto for a while longer. I will divulge this much: we currently have a common enemy, as short a time that may be. We did not let ourselves be completely blind and deaf while restricted to the carrier. I am privy of the human Captain's wish to storm the rebel hideout. Allow me to participate in the assault."

"Why should I believe you know of all this?"

"As soon as communications were resorted, there were a lot of desperate people trying to contact others. That means many unencrypted and unsecure channels the _Declaration_ can easily pick up."

"I will not allow you to leave this cell." Vora watched 'Astiree walk the length of the cell.

"I imagined it would take a little convincing. All those unsecure communications? They reveal quite a bit if one takes the time to listen."

"Stop playing coy, 'Astiree. It does not help your case." Bof snorted before speaking again.

"As you wish. I know the location and identities of some important equipment and humans in the warehouse. Plus data I am sure the UNSC would like to get their ape hands on," Bof halted in front of Vora. "Your Demon's prisoner is a loose end now. I recommend she kill him."

"Tell me the location and names. Everything." 'Ledum demanded.

"No. It is not that easy, Shipmaster. I go with you on during the attack or you loose it all entirely."

The Shipmaster paid him one last glance before storming from the room.

**UNSC BASE-08:00 HOURS**

Orders for the assault on the Innie warehouse were sent out to all the men and women partaking in the attack via encrypted text based message. Due to the earlier haywire comms, secure communications were still trying to be solidly established.

The plan was to use the element of surprise. A forward team of Spartans and Sangheili would head the charge followed by marines. ODSTs would stay behind to protect the base from any counterattack. The Master Chief and the Shipmaster were in charge of their respective teams, but the forces would work as a cohesive unit.

As the orders were distributed, Tiffany and the Master Chief were undergoing the last procedures to be cleared for active duty. Will was thankfully on the mend but nowhere near prepared physically for an assault so soon.

It had been decided 'Astiree would join the forward team. Keyes was adamant Bof not be allowed out of anyone's sight and Vora promised much harsher consequences for any misactions than the Captain.

Both the Spartan and Sangheili teams assembled in the hanger Pelicans and Warthogs were housed when Vora approached with one additional Elite.

Bof had been returned his blue armor and allowed a single plasma pistol which was clipped to his belt. He trailed a pace behind the Shipmaster and his keen eyes looked for every detail in the men and women they were walking towards.

Before the pair had left the brig, Bof received a very stern talking to from 'Ledum. What he was and was not allowed to do, how he would get his armor and one pistol, who he would be working with, and all the bloody things the Shipmaster would do to him if he went back on his word or fucked the operation up.

'Astiree observed the old Sangheili officer who had helped bring him in as well as his snarky companion. The younger Major was checking his weapons . Bof noticed the large dark green Demon who lead the team of supersoldiers. There was also another male who was giving him distrustful looks and a female with bright hair who smelled faintly of anxiety. The Shipmaster's angry female was also present. It was an interesting team make up to say the least.

Vora addressed the collective. "This is Bof 'Astiree. Self proclaimed leader of some Covenant loyalists on my ship. As you know, he claims to have knowledge of valuable assets in the warehouse. He is to fight alongside us, but do not let him out of your sight." The group nodded. They had all be briefed earlier on the full extent of 'Astiree's involvement and how to handle his going along.

The Demons silently placed their helmets over their heads and motioned to the awaiting Warthogs.

Bof idly watched the marinade prepping gear in the hanger before he was tugged along to one of the wheeled machines.

The Master Chief hauled himself into the driver's seat followed by Tiffany in the passenger seat. Jessie climbed onto the turret and checked the gun.

Vora placed 'Astiree in the passenger seat of his Warthog and took the wheel as Fred clambered into the gunner's position.

The third Warthog was driven by Niro with Janu at his side and S'rin handling the gatling gun.

**UNSC BASE-09:00 HOURS**

The caravan of Warthogs came to a halt just outside the outskirts of the city. They had gone the rather long route to avoid any commotion with the townsfolk. The rebels didn't need to know what was coming their way until the first bullet was lodged in the first brain. The motley group needed to pick up the pace to stay just ahead of the bulk of the marines soon to arrive in the same area.

The muddied team exited their Warthogs and did a quick weapons check to make sure a drive in the rain did not damaged anything before it was too late to exchange guns.

The warehouse was just visible from the small hill they parked on. All prepared to leave, they made their way down into the thin forest between them and their goal.

Unfortunately, they did not have to go far before things went pear shaped.

The heavy sheets of wind driven rain made relying on eyesight alone difficult through the tall pine trees.

Radar and HUDs can pick up individuals and vehicles, but what they can't see are land mines and rudimentary explosives buried under the wet forest mulch.

"Mines! Watch your step!" The Chief called. The explosive burst from the ground, spun in the air then detonated. Niro, who's foot had dislodged the explosive, cried out when the shrapnel broke through his shields and tore into his lower leg.

Fred grabbed the Sangheili's arm and tugged him over to the safe patch of ground he was standing on. Purple blood ran in thin rivulets down through his armor and over the bodysuit. Niro quickly examined the flesh wound and said, "Don't worry about me! I'll be fine!" He brandished his rifle.

"So much for the surprise part." S'rin grumbled. Shouts sounded in the distance and the group dispersed themselves to provide smaller targets and pushed forward.

A sniper round sailed through the air and embedded itself in the tree behind Tiffany's ducked form. She dropped her head lower below the curve of the boulder she crouched behind.

"Sniper!" She called over the comm. By now foot mobiles had exited the warehouse and made haste to meet the oncoming attackers. Plasma and bullets were traded each way with growing intensity.

Fred traced two moving brown spots and compressed the trigger on his rifle. Sharp muzzle barks and a soft thump indicated a successful kill. The partner of the dead rebel stood no chance as Janu's cloaked form speared him trough the middle with is energy sword. In the next instant the purple-black armored Sangheili melted out of view once more.

As he fired his rifle, the Master Chief glanced at his HUD. More red targets began to gather on onside while a yellow mass finally appeared where they came.

"Reinforcements incoming! Push forward and keep them busy!" An Insurrectionist feebly tried to shoot through John's shields and amor, but the Spartan mowed him down before any real damage could be done.

Vora dropped down next to Tiffany behind her large boulder. The sniper took another unsuccessful shot and the Shipmaster did his best to trace the location in the foggy storm.

"He's on the second level but keep moving between two reinforced barriers." Tiffany said. She shuffled a little away from the alien and popped out of cover to lay down suppressive fire to deter anyone from getting too close to the rock.

"All I need to know." Vora relayed the information to S'rin. The stealth warrior turned on his active camo and hunted for the human sniper through the scope on his carbine. Two shots later, the sniper was out of business.

The bulk of the red contacts John had seen on his radar entered the trees the UNSC forces were fighting in. The rapid fire of gatling guns echoed off the hills as the marines engaged from the ridge.

Jessie dogged a small squad. Practiced in her form, she used the minimal amount of bullets to hunt her enemies. Two shots to the chest, one to the head. Any lucky shots on her bounced off her shields and the blue bar in her helmet dropped only fractions at a time.

From the mass of fighting bodies, a lone frag grenade soared through the air and detonated.

The aerial detonation threw a collection of sharp metal and other debris in every direction. A few rebels got caught in the friendly blast and crumpled to the wet ground with shards embedded down the length of their bleeding broken bodies.

The shower of fragments tore through Jessie's shields. Her armor chirped the warning. A thick piece of grenade casing followed the fragmentation and crashed into her faceplate. A spiderweb crack exploded on her visor, the force of the impact knocking her head back. Next thing she knew, a large hand gripped the back of her armor and pulled her to the ground.

'Astiree flung out a hand to snatch the back of the Demon's harness. With a firm grip, he tugged her into the small ditch behind the fallen log he had taken cover behind.

A gnarly piece of metal stuck out from the middle of her visor and thin cracks jutted from the impact point.

"Demon." He said forcefully. Jess tossed Bof's hand from her armor and smacked his arm away. Hand shaking a moment, she clamped her pointer finger and thumb over the metal and pulled it from her helmet. It came away cleanly and she let it drop to the ground next to her leg.

Pieces of the collapsed gold faceplate pointed down towards the face it protected instead of laying flat in the original visor cover. Small spots of red blood formed on the edges of the crack.

"Can you still fight?" Jess tried to readjust her helmet to clear up her vision. A good chunk of her sight was obscured by the cracks and dent which the shrapnel had rested.

"Yeah. I can still fight," Jessie reached for her fallen assault rifle. Despite their less than friendly meeting hours before, she said, "Thanks for the save, by the way."

One of 'Astiree's eyebrow ridges disappeared under his helmet. "Sangheili protect those with whom they fight alongside."

"You still with us, Jessie?" Fred's fuzzy voice sounded over the comm channel. Jess hit her hand against the side of her helmet to try and clean up the signal. The explosion had nearly knocked out her communications.

"I'm still kicking." She waited for Bof to duck below the log again. Then she peered over the edge and placed a few careful shots, hoping to hit the bastard that ruined her visor with the grenade. _"I'll have to fix it when I get back. To fine a job for the armor techs_." She thought. Each Spartan had their little quirk when it came to their armor upkeep. All of them used and abused the kit on the field but between them and the technicians, made sure MJOLNIR was in perfect working oder for the next deployment. Jessie's quirk was to be the one to oversee all helmet adjustments. It protected her head and displayed every bit of essential combat information. Now the visor was busted, she would replace it by hand herself.

As the Spartan and Sangheili team continued to push forward, marines began to filter in through the forest.

Vora had seen the grenade impact Jessie and 'Astiree drag her to cover. He would never admit it to the sangheili, but he was tankful someone was their to haul her ass to safety before anymore damage could be done. He was equally thankful when she once again picked up her rifle and turned it on the rebels. She took the damage in stride and did not let the injury slow her down. He had the urge to dash over and check on her even though he had seen Jess return to the fight. Knowing it was not the right thing to do in the middle of a battlefield, the Shipmaster exchanged his plasma rifle for his trust energy sword.

Turning away from the Spartans, 'Ledum went to the aid of a few pinned down marines, keen to turn his nervousness about Jess into the power to slice with his sword. The Zealot expertly cut through the soft bodies of approaching Insurrectionists, the blue blades carving hot paths.

The Master Chief signaled to Niro who moved up the line to the green supersoldier. The young Sangheili quickly dropped to a knee and began tinkering with the locking mechanism on the large base door. The digital and physical lock combined, surprisingly, both human and Covenant technologies. John stood guard over the working Elite and provided covering fire as the Major's hands flashed over the system.

"Master Chief, we can't hold out much longer against some of these defenses!" One of the marine squad leaders radioed the Spartan.

"We are almost into the warehouse. Hold on a little longer then I want three squads to sweep the building when I give the all clear." John glanced over his shoulder to momentarily watch Niro work. A handful of automated turrets on the roof of the warehouse systematically strafed lines of bullets into the trees. The Chief guessed the defenses looked for heat signatures. The torrential rain would actually be a slim benefit in that case. As it fell, the heat the UNSC soldier's bodies radiated would be somewhat masked than if the day was clear.

"We're in!" Niro jumped to his feet and pulled his rifle from his belt.

"Blue Team, on me!" John called over the comms. The heavy forms of the Spartans comprising Blue Team began to zigzag towards the entrance, guns firing rapidly the whole way.

"S'rin, Janu, get a move on!" Vora shouted as he passed the two at a run.

John and Niro taking point, the combined teams infiltrated the warehouse. John unleashed a torrent of bullets on the rebel soldiers stacked up behind the door. Desperate shots pinged off his shields and armor as he moved along the wall to provide room for the rest of the squad to enter.

Niro's plasma fire kept the men from advancing any closer and when S'rin came into the entryway, his carbine made quick work of the reinforcements running full tilt down the corridor. The momentum from running combined with the kick of carbine rounds sent the bodies sprawling across the floor. They rolled a few times before coming to rest in a pool of sticky blood.

Tiffany and Fred followed John along one wall and kept up the pressure on the rebels behind cover.

Vora entered cloaked and the next time Tiffany sighted up a shot with the hidden enemies, a woman had two scorched stab marks through her torso and was slumped against a man with similar damage, blood dripping feebly down their fronts. 'Ledum deactivated his camouflage and swung his energy sword in a powerful ark. Severing head from neck, the Innie flopped to the floor before his head thunked on the ground, eyes wide in dead shock.

Janu and Jessie brought up the rear of the group. Both backed in rapidly, firing out into the forest to prevent any rebel from trying to tail them into their own base. Their weapons lowered slightly once the heavy door slid hut behind them, cutting the bloodied forest from view.

Fred shot the klaxon screaming above their heads,the corridor silenced, but calls of the siren still echoed down the hallway from the others spread around the base.

Vora returned to stand next to Bof, energy sword gripped fiercely in his hand. He not so gently pushed the man forward.

"Lead the way, 'Astiree." John motioned with his rifle as the squad fell in behind the two leaders and the traitor.

**This is going to be more than one chapter. Don't know when the next one will be out, but I am working on it. Can't think of anything else I need to say. Read and review!**

**-Masterful-Mind**


	28. Respite

_A Spartan's War_

A/N: I am close to 100k words! That's pretty exciting for me :) I know one of the listed side effects of the Spartan's thyroid implant is a possible suppressed libido, but we're going to ignore that little tidbit for the sake of the story. Please review!

_**Thanks to reviewers: KAT9033 and Boop**_

**Chapter 28: Respite**

**REBEL BASE-12:00 HOURS**

True to 'Astiree's word, there were actually things of value to be obtained from the rebel base. Marines stood at a few consoles working to extract the intel from the hard drives. The UNSC had also successfully captured stolen nuclear warheads and eliminated rebel activity in the sector.

The Master Chief was talking with the squad that just checked in while Tiffany attempted to help the marines on the terminals with her rudimentary skills.

S'rin was in another part of the base finishing cataloguing the recovered warheads with Fred. Janu and Niro were on recon and Vora was the one currently tasked with keeping an eye on 'Astiree. Who was perfectly well behaved at the moment other than his way to keep himself away from boredom was to watch Jessie. She had removed her helmet and was picking at the cracks on the visor. Vora crossed his arms and gnashed his teeth together. Telling himself it was nothing other than simple curiosity. But the teeth grinding did nothing to keep Bof's previous words from coming to the front of his mind. "_I'd-hmmm-take _care_ of her before someone else, uh, _does_."_

In the next few minutes, Niro and Janu walked back into the makeshift control room. Niro was displaying a common nervous habit of his, so Vora knew something was up. He glared at Bof once more before going to the Chief. The four met near the door.

"Niro…" Vora warned. Janu was the first to speak.

"We found the Insurrectionist leader. Suicide in the store room on the second floor. Him and what seems to be his next in lines." The old Sangheili shrugged his shoulders like it was no big deal.

"Damn," John swore. "I was hoping we could take them in for questioning, but dead is not a bad solution."

The large man stepped away from the three Elites as a call came in through his helmet.

"Keyes wants us back on base. The marines can hold this one for now." John told the Spartans and Sangheili in the room before radioing the ones not present. Acknowledging the order, Tiffany picked up her rifle before pushing past Jess to walk out of the room with John. Niro and Janu followed suit. 'Astiree needed no prompting and set off at a lazy walk just behind Jessie. Vora was the last to leave the room.

'Ledum observed as a small frown graced Jessie's lips as they trekked back to the Warthogs. The rain had tamed her frizzy curls and turned her hair a dark brown. The Sangeheili remembered hearing something about human women not liking the effect rain had on their hair, he smiled internally at the simple thought. The cracking on her visor had rendered the helmet practically useless and a potential danger if they engaged in combat, so she had opted to leave it off for the return to base.

The group piled back into the Warthogs in the same seating order as before and sped back to friendly territory. The promise of a warm meal and showers pushing the pedal even closer to the metal.

**UNSC BASE-13:30 HOURS**

Bof 'Astiree was granted a four hour reprieve to eat and shower with relatively low supervision before needing to be returned to his cell. He had already showered and cleaned his armor and was now standing in the mess with a tray in hand. He scanned the sparsely filled mess for a place to sit. He was going to seat himself in a quite corner, when an individual sitting along the far wall caught his attention.

He crossed the mess and plunked his tray on the table, sliding into the booth. The Demon did not look up from the datapad on the table, fork held loosely between two fingers.

"I thought you said you were going to shower first."

"What?" The smoother voice made Jess look at the individual across from her. When she spied Bof rather than Vora, her eyes hardened.

"Get the fuck out of my booth."

"I see you were expecting someone else?" The comment did not rattle 'Astiree at all.

"Yes and he should be here soon. Now go away." She swiped the datapad from the table and dropped it onto her jacket piled on the seat next to her.

"But he is not here yet so I will stay for now." That did nothing to soften her gaze or language.

"I do not want to eat with you, 'Astiree. Does that get the goddamn point across?"

"I understood the first time. I am sure you know Sangheili are a stubborn people." He fully scooted into the booth and adjusted his long legs under the table. Pointedly grazing his shin against her calf. He felt the muscle bunch through the thin fabric covering her lower leg.

"You know what? I was just finishing up anyway." Jess grabbed her jacket and pad then reached for the edge of her plate.

"You are waiting for someone. I do not think he would enjoy finding you gone once he arrives." Bof gently reached out and wrapped a hand around her wrist. Jess' hand immediately dropped her stuff back onto the bench and smacked his hand. The swat knocked his loose grip off her.

"I am sure he would understand." Though she did not make another immediate attempt to stand up.

"May I ask who you are meeting?" Bof took a quick bite of food.

"I don't know you. What the hell makes you think I'd tell you about my lunch plans?" Jess rolled her eyes in frustration. The Elite did not understand the rude human gesture.

"It is the Shipmaster isn't it." It was more of a statement than a question. He already knew the answer based off her causal comment when he sat down and the pheromones he could smell around her.

"Not only are Sangheili persistent, you are nosy as well." She scowled at the man simultaneously eating and questioning her.

"It comes with the ability to better read our surroundings," He tapped his nose and gestured to his head in general. "Decent smell, sight, and hearing plays into a lot of things."

"Still doesn't explain why you want to know about my meeting the Shipmaster."

"Ah, so it really _was_ him." Bof's mandibles spread in a grin before being filled with a bite of food.

Jess sighed in defeat. "Beside the point now," She tossed a hand dismissively. "Something you haven't explained is why you decided to take your meal with a human." She settle an even gaze on him. Similar to the disinterest Niro had tried when guarding his cell.

"Killing you would not have helped me enjoy my few hours of freedom, now would it?" 'Astiree had a knack for rhetorical questions.

Jessie pushed a frustrated hand through her hair. "You very easily could have eaten at an empty table."

Bof cocked an eyebrow ridge and responded, "Maybe I wanted to interrupt a lunch date between the Shipmaster and his female."

It was obvious she had put on her Spartan-mask and stoically stood once more.

"You have three and a half hours until your ass is locked up again. Don't waste it." He let her go and watched the irate Demon leave the mess hall. With a chuckle, 'Astiree returned to his meal solo.

**UNSC BASE-14:00 HOURS**

Vora has received Jessie's message about diverting their meeting from the mess hall to her room. She did not provide a reason for the change, but he wasn't about to argue. He made his way to see her as soon as he had a chance.

He walked into her quarters when he heard her call the door was open. The sight that greeted him was different then what he normally saw. Jessie was laying on her stomach draped half off the bed. She knees were bent and her legs propped against the wall. She had a datapad resting on the floor and a finger scrolled down the text. She was dressed only in a tank top and sleep pants and her curls were somewhat collected in a low ponytail.

"What are you doing?" He questioned at her incredulous position.

"Trying to read a sappy novel," She admitted. At his continuing confusion she elaborated. "My back is sore. Laying like this helps it feel better."

Vora plopped down next to her datapad. "It does not look comfortable."

She lifted her head to meet his gaze with a small smile. "That makes two of us. The rest of me doesn't like it, but my back does." She tapped the lock screen and pushed the pad down the floor towards the foot of the bed.

Vora had had human physiology instruction throughout the war and was aware of human females possessing mammary glands. The mounds of flesh had never meant anything to him, but right now he was quite enjoying the view her tank top and bed pressed against her front was presenting him. He intertwined two fingers in the chain circling her neck and lifted it. Two silver plates were attached to the end of the loop.

"These are military ID are they not? I have seen almost every human wearing them." He pulled the dogtags closer for inspection, reading the information engraved on them.

"Yes. They are called dogtags. Has a bit of important personal info on it. Used primarily for ID of a person dead or alive, proof of enlistment, and say if someone needed a blood transfusion." She explained. He continued to tangle his fingers in the chain but his eyes had slipped lower then the tags.

"What is your hair doing?" He managed to remove his eyes from the decently modest display of her chest to her blue eyes.

"Oh, I pulled it back. It gets annoying after a time hanging in my face while I try to read."

"I like it down better." Vora lifted one hand to the back of her head. He tugged at the hair tie until it came loose and her curls fell down around her shoulders. Vora dropped the tie to the floor by his knee. He looked at her until something caught his attention. 'Ledum gingerly gripped her chin and tilted her head up to see it in better light.

Jess had a green and purple bruise developing below her right eye and a thin red cut that crossed the bridge of her nose and hooked under her right eye.

"From the grenade." She offered as an explanation.

"Will it scar?" He carefully traced the cut with the tip of an ungloved talon.

"Yes, but I don't mind. It will be faint anyway. Better a scar than loosing my whole head in the explosion," He growled quietly at the comment. "Hey, you don't have your gloves on."

She pulled her chin from his grasp to look at his uncovered hands.

"You are comfortable with my hands, so I left them off." To his ears, Vora thought he sounded sheepish, but the statement made sense.

"I don't mind them at all." Jess gently entwined a hand with the one previously on her chin. The touch felt more intimate and real. Many of their previous stolen touches had been through thick gloves or armor. Now, both of them had their bodies relieved of such restrictive coverings. It even looked like 'Ledum had a pair of casual clothes retrieved from his ship. Vora pulled on the dogtag chain to bring her closer to him.

"In your message you did not explain why you decided to meet me here rather than the mess hall."

"That was the original plan, but 'Astiree decided he wanted to eat his meal with me as well."

Vora's voice hardened, "And?"

"I didn't want to sit with him so I tossed my plate and came here," At the look in his eye, Jessie added, "It was not anything serious, Vora."

"I am glad you came here. I do not trust 'Astiree." His hand had unconsciously tightened around her's.

"I can handle myself. There wasn't much he could really do if he tried. Let alone in the middle of the mess hall." Jess rubbed her thumb across Vora's hand.

"I know that, but it does not mean I have to like it." Jess' other hand came up to rest on the back of his neck.

"He did help me after the grenade fiasco, you can give him that." She said with a small smile, eyes dancing.

"Only because I was not covering you. And your team was spread out." He dropped off into a tiny purr as her hand worked the back of his long neck.

"I think the biggest savior of the day was my armor, but anybody not purposefully trying to kill me was a bonus." His eyes slid close when he felt her dull nails dig into his leathery skin and the pads of her fingers apply and release pressure.

"I will have to thoroughly thank your armor the next time I see it." Humor laced his voice and he opened his eyes once more to watch her break into a larger smile. Jess' work typically called for a stoic mask or she could commonly be found with a scowl, so he greatly appreciated the smile. He thought she looked much better with it. Vora was unsure about human practices related to commenting on attractiveness, it was untested water for him.

"I would almost pay to see you do that." Her voice was quiet and his mandibles contracted as her face drew nearer to his. He had his fingers crossed internally she was going to do what he thought she was. They had been interrupted enough times he was sure his agitation and slightly fouler moods were not purely work related after recent developments.

What he was not expecting was her lips to press against the tips of his closed mandibles. He was confused for only a moment before he remembered humans would mash their lips together in a show of affection and intimacy. Her nails pricked at his neck again and her hand tightened in his. Vora pushed his mandibles back against her lips as her eyes closed. They were soft, but slightly chapped and surprisingly malleable compared to his firmer mandibles and jaw.

He released his grip on her ID tags and moved his hand to cradle the back of her head. Vora's fingers twisted into her loose hair and scratched against her scalp. Jess emitted a small groan as his fingers further tangled in her curls. Their mouths continued to press against each other as Vora shifted himself onto his knees.

With the proper leverage, he used their conjoined hands and the one holding the back of her head to sit her up. Jess grunted while she pulled her legs down from leaning against the wall and tucked them against the bed. Vora silenced her by pushing his mandibles hungrily against her lips. Since she was sitting properly on the top of the bed, he was able to guide her to lay on her back. Making sure to continue the lip connection, Vora crouched and felt Jessie help haul him onto the bed as well.

He braced his knees next to her thighs and leaned over her. They had to break apart to catch their breath. Jess' lips were red and Vora's mandibles tingled nicely. He had never experienced that human action before and was certainly not abject to it. The Shipmaster dropped her hand to trail his fingers down her side to her hip. Vora snaked his fingers under the hem of her shirt and splayed them on the bare skin.

"Last time we were like this you had tried to best me while sparring." His hooded eyes watched her mouth quirk into a smirk.

"It was a draw if I remember correctly." She pat his neck. He hummed his appreciation.

"Consider this the rematch." He felt her hands trail down his back to the bottom of his casual shirt. She was able to bring it up to his shoulders and successfully free his arms.

"Curse your long neck!" She huffed as it became more difficult to rid him of the excess clothing.

"Sangheili find long necks attractive." He teased then reached up to help pull the shirt over his head and toss it to the floor. Jessie appreciatively took in the muscular form hovering just above her body.

"That's all good and well but they make it difficult to get your clothes off." Vora chuckled at her pout before leaning back down to brush his teeth along her shoulder. He too tugged the hem of Jess' tank top up and had an easier time freeing both her arms and head from the material, dropped forgotten on the floor.

Her hands rubbed up and down the length of his back drawing satisfied purrs from dropped himself lower and she could feel his growing need as he ground his pelvis against her. Vora's hands played at her sides and she emitted quiet moans. His mouth made good work of the junction near the bottom of her neck.

Drawing back for a moment Vora kicked off his boots and slid his hands up her stomach until his knuckles brushed the bottom of the contraption covering her chest. Jess hooked one leg around his and lifted her middle to push against him, hands still firmly toying with the muscles along his back. As her back left the bed, Vora stuck one hand behind her to fiddle with the clasp on her bra.

"How the hell-?" He breathed. Jess laughed and reached back as well to guide his hands to unhook the frustrating piece of women's clothing. Once the clasps were undone, Vora threw the offending piece of black cloth away from them.

Jessie moaned as Vora nuzzled the space between her breasts. A hand grazed along the side of one and she arched her back to increase the contact. He groaned and pushed his pelvis into her to further contact that was just barely keeping him satisfied enough not to rip of the rest of their clothes and just have his way. By now his member was at full attention and demanding more notice than it was currently receiving. Vora focused on the mounds of flesh his hands were playing with instead and periodically rubbed his need against her leg. He wanted this to last and not be some quick fuck soldiers sometimes partook in to relieve the stress of military life.

One finger softly passed over Jess' nipple when the room gained another noise that was not heavy breathing or the heady grunts of need. She was slowly drawn back out of the lusty cloud into clarity. Vora, already a step ahead of her, was growling frustratedly with his head pressed against her. His mandibles wrapped over the junction of her shoulder and tightened momentarily. The tips of his sharp teeth pressing into, but no where near breaking the skin.

As soon as he heard the noise he new someone was trying to reach him via the small communicator he carried when not decked out in full battle regalia. His shirt lay rumpled on the floor and the device he had set down as soon as he took a seat before the bed was calling for his attention. He was very much occupied and would rather pay his mind to Jessie than whatever professional business was promised on the other end of the line.

Jess gave his arm a consoling pat and lightly kissed the side of his head. "You better get that. I don't think we want anyone pounding on the door."

"Duty calls." said Vora dejectedly. He sat up and climbed off Jessie then the bed. Ignoring the communicator a moment longer, he retrieved Jess' shirt and bra. He picked up the device once she had pulled the shirt over her head, blocking her half exposed body from his hungry view.

He exhaled an angry sigh and cleared his throat to answer the comm. Vora was going to eat his helmet if he got interrupted one more time. His comm seemed the most popular when he was trying to spend some _quality_ time with Jessie. Better yet, he would make whoever decided, unknowingly, to disrupt him this time eat their own helmet. _"I will stuff it down their throat myself."_he thought.

"'Ledum." Vora was successful at keeping his anger and lust out of his voice.

_**"It is time the Elite prisoner is returned to his cell. One of your men recommended you be there. He had mentioned subsequent interrogation."**_ Vora did not recognize the human's voice.

"Let him know I will be there momentarily." He shut off the device and stuffed it in his pants pocket. 'Astiree was the root cause for his interruption and now discomfort in his pants. Such a problem was well on the way to being solved with the Spartan sitting on the bed, but now it would have to do with straining painfully against the clasp. Vora could think of worse things to do to Bof than merely force fed him a combat helmet. Plus, it would give him an outlet for what he thought were two veiled go's at Jess. The female he was subconsciously claimed as his. But was currently not physically marked as both S'rin and Bof had pointed out to him. _"Too bad I need him alive."_ Vora thought.

He looked to Jessie ready to explain, but she said, "Go on. A Shipmaster never sleeps." She waved him on as he gathered his discarded shirt and left her room with a longing glance.

**And that's the end of this chapter. I realize the last bit of this chapter is such a tease :) I couldn't help it. Kept building the sexual tension people have been pointing out in reviews. It keeps on growing! I also haven't decided if I'm going to try writing a full blown/possible triangle (Bof being one-sided) or if he will just come off as a dick time to time. Till next time, my lovelies!**

**-Masterful-Mind**


	29. Once More Unto the Breach

_A Spartan's War_

A/N: More new characters introduced and no rest for our weary protagonists. Broke the 100,000 word mark! Hell yes! Read and review, please.

_**Thanks to the reader who added my work to their favorites or alert list: Evowizard25, CommanderCats, and Allie-The-Allisaur**_

_**Thanks to reviewers: KATT9033, Boop, Kirake, Barbarette, MECHANICALCHEESE, and Reader**_

**Chapter 29: Once More Unto the Breach**

**UNSC BASE-16:00 HOURS**

**"Shipmaster,"** Vora's lieutenant said, a worried lilt to his usually professional voice. **"you need to see this."**

Vora pressed a finger to his helmet comm. "Send it to 'Cadeon's datapad." he instructed over the comm.

S'rin closed the file he was using to document notes on 'Astiree's interrogation and handed it to his Shipmaster.

The lieutenant's transferred file popped up on the screen and he tapped it open.

S'rin's mandibles tightened as his stomach dropped. He blinked and looked at the pad held between him and Vora one more time. S'rin wanted to pinch himself, it couldn't be true, the readings must have been off. The lieutenant had suddenly decided to play a trick on them. That had to be it…

Vora felt his blood run cold and he couldn't level a more killer glare on Bof 'Astiree is he ever tried.

"You are a very dead man, 'Astiree." Bof's brows contracted questioningly.

Displayed on the datapad gripped tightly in Vora's hand, was the distinct signature of a Covenant cruiser exiting Slipspace within the system.

Vora was about to order S'rin to alert the base, when the few alarms functional blared to life.

"I want all personnel evacuated now! Get everyone to the _**Declaration**_!" Vora ordered his soldier.

"What about you?" S'rin prepared to run from the room.

"I will follow to the carrier. Tell my lieutenant he has the bridge. If he deems is necessary to leave and I am not aboard, so be it."

"You know Joro will not leave without you." S'rin responded.

"He is an Ultra who knows his responsibilities. He will follow my orders. Now go!"

S'rin nodded his head and quickly left the room. Vora could begin to make out the sounds of Phantoms and their cannons over the sounds of the weather and alarm. He turned his attention to Bof.

"If I _ever_ see you again, I will kill you. Slowly. That you can be sure of." he did not wait for Bof's retort and instead spun on his heel and hurried to find Captain Keyes.

**UNSC BASE-16:45 HOURS**

All hell had broken loose between the base and the field the two warships were nestled in.

Jess reloaded as fast as she possibly could. Once the magazine was locked in place and another round chambered, she let loose with a barrage of bullets. The Grunts stood little to no chance, but the Jackals took a bit more to kill. She swung her rifle from target to target with practiced ease, but the fight was definitely hectic.

"C'mon! You _have _to move _faster_!" she yelled at the technicians escorting Will's cryotube. Keyes had decided to immediately transfer to recovering Spartan into a cryotube to have a better chance of getting him aboard the _**Pillar of Autumn**_. The slow moving group provided an easy target and many of the ground forces paid them extra attention, vying for what seemed like easy kills.

The foggy rain made it harder for the technicians to navigate the tube across the terrain and Jessie could only do so much to keep their unarmored bodies safe.

She stalked around the small group and did her best to single-handedly cover them from every angle. The adrenaline rushed through her veins and the ammo count on her HUD steadily dropped lower by the minute.

An Elite died firing as Jess finally spied Fred and Tiffany coming into view.

Quick shots ended the lives of two Jackals who held their shields a little too far from their skinny bodies. Jessie called to the pair and they raced over shooting as madly as their squadmate.

"Escort them to the ship! I have to go back!" Tiffany nodded in acknowledgement as Fred focused his attention on a mad Grunt flailing two plasma grenades in his hands. The little creature took a bullet to his methane tank. Green gas erupted from his backpack and he tripped before being torn apart by the dual grenades. All that was left was meat and blood.

As soon as Will's cryotube was under the covering fire of the pair, she took off at a run. Jessie wove her way through the teeming mass of fighting, escaping, and dead bodies. She was running her eyes along the expanse of base wall she knew held a door when she spied her target near the bushes.

She dropped the hand from her rifle stock and waved the person over, "Peter! Come here!" The rain drenched boy madly ran to the armored Spartan. She crouched down to his level and caught his running body around the waist. She hoisted him onto her hip and brought her gun back up to bear with one hand.

"What's happening?" Peter's voice quavered.

"I need to get you to safety then we will talk." Jess told him. She took a breath and almost gagged on the fumes in her helmet. The attack came before the sealant on her new visor had time to completely adhere to the helmet and now the air she breathed tasted noxious.

Peter accepted her answer and buried his head into her shoulder and gripped her armor as tightly as his little fingers could.

Jessie reentered the fray and spent more time running than firing her gun. Getting Peter away from the raid was her main goal. The pair had seemingly entered a clear stretch of land, when the Spartan suddenly tripped and sprawled on the muddy grass. Peter cried out as he hit the ground and tumbled out of her arms.

Jess instantly rolled onto her back and dug her heels into the soft mud for as mush support as she could get. She reached for her assault rifle when the invisible body that tripped her's hoof stomped on the gun. The rifle gave way under the force and cracked, completely useless.

Jess followed the amored leg up to the head and saw the largest Elite she had ever encountered. He was much larger than Vora, who outsized a good chunk of Elites she had seen in her life.

The Elite's mandibles expanded into what she had learned to be a sinister grin.

"Demon." It sneered in a deep voice. Jess intended to pull her knife from her chest sheath now that her gun was utterly broken, but the massive Covenant soldier transferred his hoof from her weapon to her arm impossibly fast. He drove her arm into the slick mud and twisted at the ankle to painfully drive her elbow into the ground.

Jess exhaled in pain and rolled over on that side to grip his ankle with her free hand. Once she was latched on, she rolled most of her weight onto her shoulders and kicked her legs into the knee the Elite had braced behind him. The locked joint gave way under her kicking and he was forced to lift his hoof from her in order not to loose his balance as he stumbled back.

Jess yanked her knife free and slid on the rain soaked ground trying to regain her footing. The Elite was just coming under control of his motor skills again as Jess rose to her feet, mud slathered all over her armor. She tilted her head to look for Peter.

"Run!" she desperately commanded. If she could not kill the Elite, she did not want the boy anywhere near him. She faced the Elite again as he roared and swung at her with his energy sword. She ducked and dodged the blow and swiped with her knife. With his longer than average reach, the warrior planted his thick fist in Jessie's side as she extended herself in the knife stab.

She tried to absorb the blow, but his hoof once again connected with her and she was tossed to the ground on her stomach, knife no longer in hand.

She gripped the ground to pull herself forward, but her gloves pushed through useless mud and loose grass. Peter was just beyond her, tears streaming down his dirt stained face. "Get out of here!" she yelled at him. Jess really did not want Peter to witness what could possibly be her end.

Jessie's breath was forced from her lungs. A heavy hoof ground into the middle of her back and crushed her body in the mud. She braced her hands on the ground as much as she could and strained to push herself up a few inches and look over her shoulder. The Elite still had the nasty grin plastered on his damn face. Not only was he brandishing his energy sword, but also Jess' knife.

She grit her teeth and tried once more to push the Elite off her. He had the advantage and was much too heavy since she was braced on such soft and mushy ground.

"Find John!" Peter finally heeded her orders and gave a feeble last wave before running away as fast as his little legs could carry him. Jess emitted a small sigh of relief.

What she did not expect to feel was the cold, sharp bite of a metal knife in the gap between her shoulder armor and bodysuit. The Elite had stabbed her with her own combat knife! Jessie cried out, but scrabbled to get a firm grip on the handle. Her fingers trembled, but they felt the familiar hilt.

On the count of three, she held breath, bit the inside of her check and yanked the knife from the flesh on her collar. Before he Elite could attempt anything else, she slammed it into his calf.

He roared in pain and all the weight was instantly lifted from her. Jess rolled onto her back and sprung at the soldier. She collided with his middle and their combined weight pulled them to the ground.

"Not fun being stabbed, is it? You son of a bitch." Jess grated breathlessly. She gripped the knife and twisted it painfully. A large hand splayed over her visor and the Elite clung to her helmet. His strong grip shook her head back and forth, threatening to break her neck if he got anymore leverage.

She brandished her knife and his hand disappeared from her view to be replaced with the sight of his supremely pissed off visage.

"This ends here." She lay flush against him and with all the strength she could muster, thrust her blade into his chest.

The Elite looked shocked and struggled. His eyes slid closed and he fell still.

Jessie dropped her head and panted. It was a hell of a fight and she didn't think she had ever come that close to death at the hands of the Covenant before. She sheathed her knife and stood.

When she turned back to face the corpse on the disturbed ground, she was faced with the standing body of said huge Elite and the hilt of his energy sword flying towards her head.

The metal hilt impacted the side of her helmet and she hit the ground gracelessly. Her last thought as she looked up at her assaulter before darkness claimed her was the Elite was supposed to be dead.

_**FLEET OF IMPERIAL RIGHTEOUSNESS-HOLY RESERVE**_**-17:30 HOURS**

Vora was bruised and battered, but alive. Mud was caked into every crevice of his lower leg armor and he was still wet from the rain. The drying water leaving streaks on his gold plates. His shoulders and neck were sore and he was pretty sure a mandible was painfully out of place. Vora had been relieved of his weapons and his hands were cuffed behind his back.

Two stoic Sangheili held his upper arms as they waited in the command center of an unknown cruiser. Other Sangheili were working around the room, but Vora did not recognize any familiar faces.

The two guards with him stood more erect as another Sangheili came to stand before them.

He was clad in the purple armor of a high ranking Zealot and held himself with a self-important air.

"Shipmaster Vora 'Ledumee," he addressed the captive leader. "When I was told you had defected from the Covenant, I almost did not want to believe such a radical notion. Yet, here you are leading a small band of heretics. We are lucky part of your crew remains loyal to the Covenant. They shall be rewarded for alerting us and your subsequent capture."

Vora stared defiantly at the man. _"I can only hope the _**Declaration **_was able to leave the system."_ he thought. It must have been possible since the Sangheili made no immediate mention of capturing the carrier.

"You are unlucky to be alive. The Hierarch you once harbored ordered you be let live…for now. You are worth nothing but to die for your crimes."

Vora remained quiet, not giving anything away.

"There are ways to make you talk," the Sangheili addressed him. "You have many things to answer for."

"Where am I." Vora questioned flatly. He remembered he was unable to locate Captain Keyes then being cornered and vastly outnumbered in a fight. Literally backed up against a tree and fighting valiantly with his now absent energy sword. Then everything went black and he showed up here.

"I am Fleetmaster Xitus 'Mronee and you are in the Task Force _**Fleet of Imperial Righteousness**_ on the carrier _**Holy Reserve**_." Xitus swept out an arm to indicate the cruiser.

"Release me."

"No, Shipmaster. You are a traitor and a criminal to the Covenant. You must answer for your crimes and those of your subordinates." the Fleetmaster said harshly.

"If I am the traitor and the criminal, then what am I looking at right now? Anyone loyal to the Covenant are the real traitors to the Sangheili people, Fleetmaster." Vora spat, straining slightly against the guards holding him.

Xitus 'Mronee shook his head, "How confused you truly are. Now, what is the destination of the _**Triumphant Declaration**_?" he asked seriously.

Vora remained quiet for close to the span of two minutes before saying, "I do not know."

"There really is only one way for this to end, 'Ledumee. I suggest you tell me the coordinates." Xitus stalked away from him to stand next to the raised holotank on a dais.

"I know nothing of their location." Vora honestly had no clue where his ship had gone, but it was now clear they had escaped. He was sure Joro 'Fonat would take good care of the warship and he only hoped everyone made it back on board before it departed.

Rather than repeating his question for a third time, Xitus made a motion to the Sangheili warriors standing guard at the door of the bridge,

In marched Bof 'Astiree and two soldiers hauling a fighting black armored person.

Vora could not stop his head from snapping up in surprise, but he did manage to conceal all other reactions. He took a deep breath to compose himself and watched the small group approach them.

Xitus moved to stand nearer Vora and the two warriors pushing the Spartan now stood by the holotank. 'Astiree came to a halt closer to the Fleetmaster's side.

Bof watched the Shipmaster as he shuffled his feet a moment, wry grin gracing his mandibles.

Vora was more intent watching Jess than Bof smugly standing by the Fleetmaster.

She was without her helmet and all weapons were obviously removed from her person. Her black armor was coated in drying brown mud and bits of grass from the tussle on the ground. The left side of her collar was stained a brilliant red and the congealing blood discolored the gunk stuck to the armor.

The cut over her nose had a dried trail of blood down her cheek and a nasty purple bruise had blossomed on her temple. Jess' hands were also cuffed behind her back and she occasionally tugged against the two Sangheili holding her.

Jess glared at the unknown warriors around her before tired blue eyes met Vora's. They softened momentarily then returned to a guarded state.

'Ledum's mandibles constricted against his jaw and he stood tall to face Bof and Xitus.

"Perhaps the Demon knows?" Xitus paced casually between the Shipmaster and the Spartan.

"She knows nothing about my ship." Vora ground out. The Fleetmaster faced Jess but spoke to Vora.

"I expected as much," Xitus' eyes roamed over the Spartan's face which had twisted into a clenched teeth sneer. "But what would it take for you tell me, Shipmaster?"

Vora strained against his captors as he watched the Fleetmaster raise one finger and prod the bruise on Jess' face. His ungloved talon bit into her delicate skin as he drug it from her temple to cheekbone, drawing blood.

Jessie's jaw tightened, but she made no outward show of discomfort from the scratch. She directed the full power of her glare at Xitus.

He curled his finger and the claw dug into her cheek then withdrew. Xitus spun around and stalked back over to Vora.

"You have many things to answer for, 'Ledumee. I will make sure you pay for your traitorous actions both on my ship and when I hand you over to the full might of the Covenant Empire. There are many ways to make you suffer, heretic," Xitus 'Mronee lifted the talon coated in Jess' fresh blood and tapped it on Vora's chest plate. "Many."

'Ledum's unfaltering gaze met Xitus'. Vora worked very carefully to keep his voice level and disinterested as all his instincts told him to lay waste to those who caused harm to both him and his potential female. "If this is the price of true freedom, so be it. You are a prisoner who blindly follows the Covenant."

Xitus narrowed his yellow eyes and flared his mandibles challengingly. Vora's low growl met his ears and he answered in turn, deep rumble emanating from his chest.

"'Astiree, remove the Demon," Xitus said before the growling match between the two leaders could exceed a verbal standoff. He looked defiantly into Vora's angry eyes. "Do as you see fit unless I say otherwise. Dismissed."

Vora caved first and tore his gaze away from the Fleetmaster's to look at Jess. he desperately wanted to call out to her. To tell her it would all be alright, or to encourage the fight building in her eyes, simply to hear her voice comfort him. Vora was livid, but as Xitus had said, in no position to do anything about what was transpiring.

Jess held her head up obstinately, blood running down her cheek and dripping off her chin.

Bof flicked his mandibles at the Shipmaster and moved to the Sangheili guarding the Spartan.

Jessie again met Vora's worried look and took a deep breath, focusing herself and resorting to her Spartan mindset by slowly counting down from ten. Once Bof was near enough, Jess yanked her arms forward and tore her biceps from her guards' grasps. She raised a leg and kicked Bof in the chest, knocking the Elite off his feet and onto the sleek ground of the cruiser.

One of her guards made a grab for Jess, but the Spartan spun out of his reach, making sure to stay away from the bridge crew now paying attention to the altercation. Jess gritted her teeth and pulled at the cuffs around her gloved wrists. She could feel them give, but not break.

Vora jumped forward, but was pulled back by the warriors holding him. He growled in frustration and managed to drive his knee into the leg of the soldier to his left. He strained, but his sore body was not responding as it should.

"Come on!" Jessie whispered to herself. She twisted her hand and tried to worm it out of the handcuff. She slipped her right hand free just as a Sangheili leapt at her. She dodged his blow smoothly and punched his neck with her fist. She mentally thanked her sparring with Elite partners for the refined close combat skills. The empty cuff slapped against his skin and he ducked to the side to miss the follow up attack.

'Astiree was not expecting her to turn on him next. Jessie jabbed her fingers into the bottom of his jaw under his mandibles. The force pushed his head up and made him choke on his own breath. Mandibles flapping, doing nothing to dislodge the gloved extremities causing him breathing difficulty. Next thing he knew, Bof had an arm wrapped around the base of his neck and his plasma rifle pushed painfully against his head.

"Drop the gun." said Jess to the Elite who had quickly rammed his rifle into Vora's neck as retaliation to Jess' holding Bof hostage. The warrior made no move to holster his weapon. Vora hid a cringe when the gun's muzzle ground into a particularly knotted muscle.

"Bold move, Demon." Xitus nonchalantly tapped a command on a small screen displayed on the holotank.

"Order your men to stand down and give me the Shipmaster." Jess kept her voice even and tightened her grip on Bof. He exhaled in angered embarrassment. She was running on the last of her adrenaline from the assault and a finely constructed Spartan front. She knew how madly desperate her small attempt at freedom for the both of them was.

"You will not get away with this." He said lowly to the woman with a gun firmly planted against his head.

"Shut up. I did not give you permission to talk." she said through clenched teeth.

"I would listen to her, Fleetmaster." Vora stated. He leaned his neck further away from the uncomfortable muzzle of the plasma rifle, but the other warrior used his hand to push him back. 'Ledum wished he could communicate to Jessie just how gutsy her move was and his displeasure with it.

"What would have you done if I handed the heretic over to you? Steal a ground ship and fly away?" Xitus shook his head and took a few steps nearer the Spartan. "This cruiser is full of thousands of Covenant. We are surrounded by a dozen ships that could easily shoot you down," One more step and Jessie pointed the plasma rifle at the approaching Fleetmaster.

"Do not underestimate me." Jessie said to Xitus, tightening her choke grip on Bof to still his increasing struggles.

"I am not underestimating you, Demon. Merely explaining the gravity of the situation you are in. Besides, I would prefer not to kill you if I can. It is very difficult to take one of your kind alive and I intend to hand you over for study." 'Mronee came to a halt a foot away from the end of the rifle being pointed at his head.

He pointedly looked into the human's eyes then switched his gaze up and over her shoulder.

A strong arm wrapped around her neck. The elbow of the arm rammed into her neck under her chin and pulled Jess' body away from 'Astiree. The freed Sangheili gingerly rubbed his neck and stepped next to Xitus.

Jessie clawed the arm constricting her air flow. She opened her mouth, gasping for breath and spied the giant Elite from the attack on the planet.

"You-" she choked out. The Elite said nothing and knocked the gun from her grip. He tightened his arm around her airway and Jessie felt consciousness slipping from her. She stood on the tips of her toes to try and alleviate the pressure, but it did very little to help.

The monstrous Elite raised her higher and Jess' legs kicked out, finding nothing but thin air. She could feel the blood rush to her head and wiggled to raise her chin above the armored forearm. The alien knotted his claws in her hair and painfully fit his plan and talons around her skull. He held her head still so the only thing to move were the distraught jerks of her legs and mouth.

With a gasping breath, her eyes slid close and her head fell back against the Elite's chest. Jess' body went limp and the large alien let her crumple to the ground.

Bof knelt and pressed two fingers against her neck gaiter to check her pulse.

"Do not touch her." Vora snapped at 'Astiree. He surprised himself with the pure amount of rage and possessiveness leaking into his voice. His teeth bared and he did his best to puff up and appear bigger to the Minor he was trying to intimidate. He lunged, but did not move far.

"You are not in the position to be making demands, Shipmaster," Bof rose to his feet and did his best to haul Jessie's body up with him. "'Fustamee, get her." Bof moved to the side and allowed the massive Ultra Dimen 'Fustamee to toss the Demon over his shoulder like an oversized sack of potatoes. Not deterred by the weight of her titanium armor.

'Ledum ripped his arms from the Sangheili with an angry yell. He flared his mandibles and charged forward, intent on fulfilling his promise to kill Bof 'Astiree the next time he saw the Sangheili who had called the Covenant down upon his little band of heretics, and now humans, he called brothers. The Sangheili was also a present threat to Jessie and Vora was in total protection mode now she was unconscious and not able to fend for herself.

Xitus snatched his energy sword from his belt and ignited it. He held it out to his side and the hot plasma blades stopped the rushing Shipmaster in his path. The Fleetmaster watched the warriors leave the bridge with the Demon and turned to 'Ledum.

"She means something to you, does she not?" Xitus turned the points of the energy sword onto Vora. The Shipmaster held his ground, breathing heavily and considering his chances of disarming the man before him and running the Fleetmaster through with his own sword.

"She is a human." Vora forced himself to say. He had already revealed enough about his connection to the female Demon. He gnashed his mandibles as he tried to ignore the drying human blood on one of the fingers wrapped around the weapon turned on him.

"That may be so, but you are easier to read than you may think," Xitus forced Vora back a step. "She was near impossible to read, but you have betrayed her. You know the Minor 'Astiree asked for her in person? He said a containment cell would not be able to sufficiently hold a Demon. A constant Sangheili guard would be needed," the Fleetmaster knew he was riling up the Shipmaster.

Xitus forced Vora back further and the Shipmaster's heel hit the curved wall of the bridge. The tip of the Fleetmaster's sword was very close to searing the front of his armor. "You have let the humans taint your mind and they have drawn you off the path of the Great Journey," With his other hand, he motioned over the pair of guards. "Take 'Ledumee to the detention center."

Xitus deactivated his energy sword and clipped it to his belt as the warriors hauled the furious Shipmaster from sight.

_**TRIUMPHANT DECLARATION-**_**19:00 HOURS**

"We must go back for the Shipmaster!" Janu exclaimed.

Joro 'Fonat glanced at the irate Sangheili. "We have our orders, 'Tellon. There is nothing I can do until we reach safe space again."

"We cannot simply abandon him! If you will not allow the carrier to return, at least send a small strike team back to the planet." Janu urged. S'rin listened to the exchange from his terminal. He knew 'Ledum had ordered 'Fonat to take command and leave the system with the _**Triumphant Declaration**_ with or without the Zealot aboard. He had even been the one to deliver the orders to the Ultra. They had waited as long as they possibly could before powering up and escaping to the stars. And all their attempts at contacting Vora had gone unanswered.

The only benefit of staying grounded for such a long period of time during the assault was the loyalists headed by 'Astiree had seen the opportunity to abandon the carrier and seek asylum with the Covenant forces landing on the planet en masse. The assault carrier was now purely under heretic control and no more threats could arise from the inside.

S'rin was also surprised at the relative ease in which the two vessels were able to flee the planet and enter Slipspace. There had been an altercation with a smaller CSS-class cruiser, but the _**Declaration**_ had quite easily done enough damage to allow the _**Pillar of Autumn**_ a safe escape then get away themselves before the other ship's guns came back online.

"For all we now he is dead." Joro drove a knuckle wearily into his muzzle and shifted uncomfortably in the command chair that was not rightfully his.

"But we do not _know_ if 'Ledum is dead." Janu was growing frustrated.

"Do you not understand I have thought through every possibility? I waited for as long as was safe, the Shipmaster did not answer any of our hails, and he was spotted very few times during the assault. I am currently the commanding officer and I will do everything in my power to find our missing Shipmaster, but I am unable to until the rest of the crew and our human companions are safe and accounted for. That is the priority and you know it. 'Ledum would do the same thing if he were in my position. I am sure he would understand, 'Tellon." 'Fonat's explanation made Janu return to his post, nodding his head in agreement and defeat.

"I do understand, 'Fonat. I request to be part of any recovery team you may organize." the old warrior typed in a command on his terminal much harder than necessary.

"Request granted, Janu." Joro's voice returned to its normal level.

"Sir, we have picked up the human ship's last transmission burst before they entered Slipspace." Niro stated.

"What is it?" the Ultra looked to the young Major.

Niro's read the transcript of the voice message once more. Eyes glued to the same sentence. He used some of the new human swears he had recently picked up.

"Niro, answer 'Fonat." S'rin said calmly to the Sangheili he could tell was getting worked up.

"Sorry," Niro looked pointedly at Joro seated at the head of the command center. "Captain Keyes is reporting heavy losses of the base's personnel, but the Master Chief has listed one of his Demon's missing in action."

"Which one, 'Reshin?" the Ultra voiced the question running through S'rin and Janu's mind, the only other Sangheili who really had had a chance to meet the supersoldiers.

"Spartan-057…Jessie, sir." Niro hung his head.

Joro hummed quietly. He recognized the Demon as the one the Shipmaster had spent much time with on the human planet.

"Maybe the Demon and Shipmaster are together?" Niro tentatively questioned.

"We can only hope, Niro. We can only hope. If so, they would take good care of one another; they are both formidable warriors. We'd have a chance of finding them alive." Janu said to calm both himself and Niro.

"Anything else of importance in the transmission?" Joro asked.

"All the other Spartan's made it to the ship and Keyes is alive. They suspect the planet will be glassed due to its discovery," Niro read on further. "There is also mention the fleet does not match any previously encountered by their frigate."

"This was a small fleet of maybe a dozen CSS carriers. Only one CAS level ship was present and hunting us, heretics, so I am guessing it is a task force," Joro addressed another Sangheili. "See what you can find out about the fleet, the flagship, and her commander. We are on the run now and they are going to hunt us down to the last man."

The officer dipped his head and began his assigned task.

S'rin thought of another question, "Any mention of a little human boy?"

"Uh, yes," Niro skimmed more of the text. "It says the Master Chief picked him up during the fight and is temporarily under the care of Spartan-104."

S'rin sighed in relief. Vora had taken the human child under his wing and it was a happy thought to know at least Peter was safe.

"Status report?" Ultra 'Fonat questioned.

"Three hours until we exit Slipspace. Location unknown."

"Looks like a long shift tonight." Joro said to his assumed bridge crew.

_**PILLAR OF AUTUMN-**_**20:00 HOURS**

Fred silently watched Peter as the little boy sat and kicked his legs in a choppy rhythm. He held his teddy loosely and busily stared out a small port window to watch Slipspace pass by.

Honestly, Fred did not know what to do with the kid. When he had realized Jessie was not going to return to the _**Autumn**_, he had offered to look after Peter in her stead. John was arranging for another marine to cover the duty, but the boy was pretty used to the Spartans and he needed someone who would be able to understand and explain why the woman was missing.

He had taken Peter to freshen up and eat, now the pair were in the small room the Spartans tended to use for minor armor care, weapons upkeep, or catch personal time. Something of a break room for them.

Fred initially thought Jessie had escaped on the Elite ship, but they had yet to receive any confirmation of her presence and the quickly traded messages before the random jump held information about Shipmaster 'Ledum being left behind.

He was genuinely surprised the Elites abandoned 'Ledum. He was their leader in every sense, they must have done it for good reason. Fred wanted to go back to the small planet and look for the missing pair, but he knew it would be practically futile.

The Covenant knew the planet harbored humans. The Shipmaster and missing Spartan would surely end up killed during the fighting or inevitable glassing. He knew both of them were capable of securing their own transport off the forsaken planet, but there was a whole fleet between them and freedom. A fleet intentionally trying to kill those forgotten on the surface.

Fred quietly mourned the loss of another team member, but knew he had to move on for humanity's sake. Part of him liked the fact Spartans could accept loss so easily and function at 100% very quickly after suffering, yet part of him was disappointed in the seemingly inability to truly pine after what was suddenly torn from them.

He picked at the dirt on his helmet, keeping Peter in his peripheral vision.

"She's dead isn't she?" the boy quietly mumbled, sadness clearly coloring his small voice.

Peter had been with Jessie at some point during the Covenant raid before John had picked him up, but he had yet to share any information about what happened while with her or how they were separated.

Even if she was alive, Fred knew death may not be far away for Jessie. He sugarcoated his answer for the upset child, "If I know Jessie, she's still fighting hard."

"I saw her get stabbed. The big alien hurt her." Peter drew his eyes from the port window and watched Fred set down his cleaning tools and drop his hands into his lap.

"Peter, you were with Jessie. How did you get separated?" Fred really needed to know if he was to feel better about the absence of his squadmate.

Peter clutched his bear and sat crisscross on the chair. Fred absently ran a hand over his dark hair.

"She found me outside the base. She was running to this ship when she fell and dropped me. The big alien was invisible and knocked her over. He broke her gun and she used her knife," Fred was listening intently, helmet forgotten on the table.

"Jessie tried to use her knife, but the alien forced her to the ground and stepped on her. He was a very big alien. Much bigger than Vora," Peter compared Dimen 'Fustamee to the only Elite he really knew. "Almost too big to fight. She kept telling me to runaway and get out of there, to find the Master Chief. I was afraid and couldn't move. She was being hurt and I didn't like it," Peter rested his head on the back support of the seat.

"I left her, but looked back a few times. He stabbed her in the shoulder with her own knife then she took it and stuck it in his leg. I runaway after that." Peter explained to the pale Spartan.

Frederic mulled over what he heard. Jessie had been in similarly tight situations before, she could probably get out of this one, but her only salvation in a well armed, large, spacefaring frigate, had both fled the planet before she had a chance to get onboard. He desperately hoped Vora and Jessie found one another. They both stood a better of chance of surviving as a pair.

Peter slid to the floor and padded over to Fred. The man plucked him from the floor and settled him on his lap. He set a large hand on the boy's back and said, "Jessie will be alright. We will go back and find her."

He said it partially to protect the innocent boy and partially to keep himself from dragging John and Tiffany to Captain Keyes and demanding they return to hunt for their missing teammate.

Fred did not have the heart to tell Peter the only other adult he really felt close to had also been abandoned on the doomed planet.

**And everyone is back in the fray! Drama development :) Don't know how soon the next part will be up since I'm in the process of moving into my dorm. Until then, I look forward to reading reviews!**

**-Masterful-Mind**


	30. Precipitate

_A Spartan's War_

A/N: Been a while since an update, once again, which doesn't help with keeping the plot perfectly in line and organized…Well, the usual read and review :)

_**Thanks to the readers who added my work to their favorites or alert list: Etheralflame66, mylittlecrossover, jjoutlaw, Spartan-259 Raphael, Ookamisenshi, dragzxx, infinitegodmode, jarhead12123, ThirteenMoney, SamPD2, nobelnoisii, and TheViagravator**_

_**Thanks to reviewers: KATT9033, S103, Please, Reader, and Boop**_

**Chapter 30: Precipitate**

_**FLEET OF IMPERIAL RIGHTEOUSNESS-HOLY RESERVE**_**-05:00 HOURS**

Vora sat cross legged on the floor of his cell. His breathing was controlled, eyes closed, and hands loose in his lap. The Shipmaster had banished all his worries from his mind and was focusing on a much calmer thought.

In his mind's eye, Vora could see the modest home he owned on Sanghelios.

_He imagined himself standing on the grassy cliff that overlooked a stunning view of the ocean and shore below. He was free of his heavy armor, the evening breeze tugged at his light clothes and the grass was soft below his hooves. The brilliant sun was sinking lower towards the watery horizon. Vora could just make out the moons Suban and Qikost beginning to take shape in the sky. The sunset was beautiful, shades of yellow and orange sweeping across the sky mingling with swaths of powerful red. A few white stars sparkled faintly in the failing light._

_He let his eyes slip shut and he breathed in the soothing sea air. It tasted and smelled so much fresher than the recycled air he was accustomed to during space travel. The only sounds to reach his ears were the steady crash of the waves against rocks and sand plus the rustle of leaves. He spared a glance at the tall, old tree which rested atop the peak of the hill. His nephews loved to climb the strong limbs while their mother visited with their uncle. The jury-rigged swing the eldest boy had tied up for his brother swung smoothly in time with the wind. A small patch of ruddy dirt lay undisturbed at the base of the tree, protected by a few visible roots. Vora had planned to place a small personal monument there at the end of the war. To commemorate those who fought valiantly and payed the ultimate price for the conclusion of the conflict. He already had prints drawn up for a special remembrance of his brother, regardless of the stigma for their bloodline._

_Vora turned his back to the spectacularly calming view to his home. At that moment, he felt worn and older. The scenery around him reminiscent of the peace on Sangheilios before the war, but his body and mind ached from post-war weariness. Rather than focus on the thought of holy war, Vora began to slowly pick his way down off the hill towards the house. The modest white two story building sat quietly below the beach cliff, yellow light spilling out of a single window on the bottom floor. He began to walk back to the estate at a leisurely pace, relishing the give of the ground beneath his bare hooves. He admired the small garden near the front of the house, both familiar and foreign plants growing in the nutrient-rich soil. He pushed open the heavy door and stepped into the comforting warmth of home. A voice greeted him happily and a body rose from a chair situated by the window. They placed a small datapad on a side table before making their way to the Sangheili. Vora reached out to draw them near-_

The Shipmaster ripped his eyes open and fiercely gripped his knees. His mind suddenly snapped back to reality and out of the mixed memory and fantasy. He felt the characteristic movements of the carrier and heard the distinct hum of the _**Holy Reserve's**_ energy projector. Vora knew it was inevitable the fleet would vitrify the planet once they confirmed there was no Forerunner relic gracing the rocky features, but he did not expect it so soon.

He clenched a fist on his knee and felt the ripples of the huge plasma discharge. He knew it well from his times being at the helm of a cruiser glassing human planets full of millions of people. Now, those experiences where much more bitter. He knew people stranded in the base miles below where he sat captive. People who could have lived much longer had his ragtag group not been discovered and brought the vicious retribution of the Covenant upon them.

'Ledum was also thankful he did not have to truly witness the extent of the destruction. The transformation of land into lechatelierite was eerily beautiful. Habitable planets vitrified so easily and their ecosystems collapsed just as quickly. The plasma from the fleet would carve shining yellow and orange burning paths in the surface of the planet, then simply move on to the next course of business. Fleetmaster Xitus 'Mronee would loose no sleep once his assault carrier and accompanying battlecruisers burned the planet to death then plotted the series of slipspace jumps needed to reach _**High Charity**_.

His only light in the dark thoughts of the glassing was Jessie was alive. Ideally, she would have been safely aboard the _**Pillar of Autumn**_ or the _**Triumphant Declaration**_. Instead, she was a captive on the _**Holy Reserve**_ much as he. Vora did not know where 'Astiree had taken her, but he was sure it would take more to put her down then Bof was capable of.

The Shipmaster shook his head to remove the morose thoughts. He listened to the sounds of the energy projector in relation to his cell. He had a mental map of his ship in his head and began trying to determine his exact location on the massive cruiser.

_**FLEET OF IMPERIAL RIGHTEOUSNESS-HOLY RESERVE**_**-06:00 HOURS**

Fleetmaster 'Mronee stood tall before the large viewport on the bow of the _**Holy Reserve**_. The Prophet floated on his chair to his right. The pair watched in silence as the ships around them powered up their energy projectors and shot them at the human planet below.

"You have done well, Fleetmaster," the weary Hierarch stated. He was still worn from being in the human and heretic's hands. "I expect we will be making our way to _**High Charity**_ once the cleansing is complete."

"The heretic's ship must be found. The fleet will give chase once we are done here." Xitus responded.

"All in due time. The traitorous Shipmaster must be made an example of first on _**High Charity**_. His crew will inevitably follow." the previously green continent with wonderful blue waters had turned cracked and black. The storm clouds once filled with rain roiled with fire and the heat of plasma.

"Yes, Hierarch." Xitus wanted to immediately go after the missing rogue assault carrier, but the San' Shyuum made a good point. Decapitate the head and the body will die. He had the leader of the separatists in a cell, locked away. His crew would not last long without their figurehead. Xitus also had the added prize of a living Demon as his prisoner. He would have to make sure the Minor 'Astiree did not do anything too stupid to the human, but the Fleetmaster was confident in his ability to deliver two valuable prisoners of war to the High Prophets residing on the massive space station.

Xitus turned to a sangheili, "Bring the Demon to me." he ordered.

_**FLEET OF IMPERIAL RIGHTEOUSNESS-HOLY RESERVE**_**-06:30 HOURS**

Jessie kept her eyes closed and her breathing slow as she felt herself come to. Her body still hurt, but nothing was worse for wear than the added mild pain in her neck. She focused on her hands and felt no extra weight or constricting bite of hand cuffs. The room was silent, no sounds of feet or armor or breathing. It seemed like she was alone. Basic environment check complete, Jess cautiously opened her eyes.

She blinked rapidly as her pupils adjusted from total darkness to the low light. She slowly sat up and grabbed her head as it spasmed. She was sitting on the floor of a small room. True to her assessment, there were no other occupants. A desk with a terminal was next to her and an odd shaped bed on the other wall, a chair sitting next to it. The door brightly displayed the red marks of the lock. Jess pushed herself to her feet and off the hard ground.

She was analyzing the small room for a decent vantage point to ambush anyone who walked through the door, when said doors admitted a Sangheili in blue armor. Jessie crossed her arms and watched the familiar male walk in.

"Glad to see you are still with us." Bof 'Astiree set something on the desk and addressed the Spartan. She eyed the desk and smirked internally as she recognized her armor helmet.

"No thanks to you." Jess said in a guarded tone. Bof's mandibles moved lazily and he shrugged his armored shoulders. Jessie noticed the plasma riffle she had stolen and turned on him was no longer holstered on his hip. His proximity to her must have prompted the Fleetmaster to remove any weapons from the soldier.

"So," he cocked an eyebrow ridge. "I really did interrupt the lunch date between the Shipmaster and his Demon." he scoffed at the fact he had driven the human from the mess and then the Covenant he had made contact with days before subsequently attacked the base. Though, he did not know of the activities that had almost transpired in Jess' quarters until Bof had to be returned to his cell and the Shipmaster withdrawn.

Jessie exhaled noisily, "You are an ass. After all this, the first thing you comment on is a suspected shared lunch between 'Ledum and I?" she narrowed her eyes at the warrior. It really was an odd first statement considering everything that had transpired since then.

"Would you rather I mention your attempt at hostage negotiations? Let's say that is embarrassing for the both of us." Bof tilted his head to look down at the peeved woman.

"What do you want, 'Astiree?" Jess took a careful step back to have a more even stance. Bof drug a finger along the edge of the desk as he moved closer to the Spartan standing near the back of the room.

"There is something of a relationship between you and 'Ledum, hmm?" Bof's finger reached the corner of the desktop and flicked off with an audible scratch.

"I am not interested in a social hour." Jess was inwardly very confused by the Elite's topic of conversation. Her mind quickly began to assess the situation, prompting her body to become on edge as it always did when she was uncomfortable.

"He seems very drawn to you, yet had done little about it. What do you think he would do if you suddenly were not his to take?" Jessie's gaze turned from angry to confused. Bof's advance towards her seemed off. It was not his usual waltz anymore. Jess felt the beginnings of adrenaline trickling into her weary systems.

"I never was his to begin with-"

"Then 'Ledum will never know what he lost." Bof was within arms reach, mandibles spread wide from his face.

"He is not going to lose anything," Jessie stepped away from the Sangheili, calves bumping into the hard wall. "I am not some prize to be won." At this point, Jessie desperately wanted the helmet currently perched on the alien desk to provide more distance between her and the confusing, leering Elite.

"He really has not told you anything, has he? You honestly have no idea what he has done…plans to do to you," Bof settled his stance. "I will make you mine and there is nothing he will ever be able to do about it." the last part of the sentence was practically a husky rumble.

"I thought you hated humans." Jessie could feel her heart rate rising and the adrenaline flow increasing through her worn body, going on high alert. Eyes darting to take in every detail and her breathing becoming measured.

Bof threw himself at the Demon near the back of the room. His mass pushed her flush against the smooth wall and his hands scrabbled with her's. He dug his muzzle along her shoulder and made an attempt to wrap his mandibles around the base of her neck. Jessie's body reacted immediately to the completely unknown, what it registered as, attack.

A voice called from the hallway, but it did not deter the sangheili.

"Get the fuck off me!" Jess formed a fist and battered the top of Bof's neck. He growled warningly and tried to sink his teeth through the thick fabric of her neck gaiter. His ungloved claws tightened threateningly around a palm and wrist but the material of her suit did not puncture. Her other hand gripped his chest armor and forced him away with all her adrenaline fueled strength. A few of his razor sharp teeth caught on the material of her bodysuit and tore fine lines, tracing pink abrasions on a few places on her neck. Jess looked to the fuming man in front of her, but both their attention were diverted to the armed guards now in the room.

It was the two Sangheili warriors from the bridge. Both held activated energy swords in their dominant hands.

"The Fleetmaster has demanded the Demon's presence." the warrior on the left said dryly while his partner did not bother to conceal the disgusted look directed at 'Astiree for what he has just witnessed.

Jess looked back at Bof, narrowed a killer glare, and pulled back her arm. Her punch landed solidly on Bof's face. She grinned in smug satisfaction as he howled and cradled two broken, bleeding, mandibles. "Touch me again and I'll break something a lot more important." she harshly threatened him.

"Just words." Bof sounded more sure than he looked, words slightly garbled from the slack half of his mouth. She wheeled around to show him just exactly she was going to tear off and shove down his throat when the quiet Elite from earlier yanked her away.

"Not worth effort." he said in broken english. Jess huffed an angry breath and narrowed her eyes. The two guards did not bother handcuffing the Spartan who had proved she could get out of the restraints. Instead, they directed her up and down many halls with their energy swords close enough to her body to threaten a quick end might she try anymore heroics.

_**FLEET OF IMPERIAL RIGHTEOUSNESS-HOLY RESERVE**_**-07:00 HOURS**

Jessie barely pulled up her stoic Spartan mask over her anger as she was directed across the bridge to stand before a large viewport. Fleetmaster Xitus watched her carefully as she stared solidly out upon the destruction being wreaked on the once blue and green planet many humans used to call home.

It was startling to see the monstrous, yet efficient, way the Covenant ended a celestial body. Jessie had seen dead planets from space before, but this was definitely the first glassing she had ever witnessed. Did the Fleetmaster call her up here to gloat?

The Prophet floated on his chair in another part of the bridge, but remained quiet as the Demon observed the might of a CAS-assault carrier.

"Quite the sight, is it not?" Xitus faced the window as he addressed Jessie.

She chose not to respond and ran her rank and service information through her head. She willed her eyes to unfocus to lessen the impact of the dozen ships razing the hopeless planet with blue fire. Her helmet would have been supremely helpful at the moment. She could have looked away without drawing the suspicion of the Sangheili before her.

Xitus waited for a response and when he did not receive one, he continued, "Not many humans witness a glassing and live to tell the tale. Every planet we discover tainted by humans encounters the same fate," 'Mronee glanced at the Demon from the corner of his eye. She was stock still, hands behind her back, feet braced firmly. He had expected as much from the human. It was not in the Demon nature to give in so easily.

"You tell me the location of the heretic carrier and I will grant you and all the crew aboard the ship you serve on safety at the conclusion of the war."

Did he honestly think she would divulge such critical information to save her own hide? She did not even know the current status of either ship. There must be another angle.

"Second Class Petty Officer Spartan-II, Jessie-057. Second Class Petty Officer Spartan-II, Jessie-057." she repeated. Fleetmaster 'Mronee turned to face her when she spoke, no longer gazing out of the huge viewport.

Xitus had heard this human interrogation avoidance tactic before. "I am hunting a ship of rogue soldiers who have willingly participated in the decimation of dozens of human planets like this one. Destruction caused by the very ship they now control. You, Demon, cannot want such power loose in the galaxy." He stalked in a slow circle around the Spartan. Hands casually gesturing as he spoke.

The Fleetmaster obviously did not know how deep the ties between the UNSC personnel on the _**Autumn**_ and the branded heretics went despite the limited time since joking forces. The two crews had proved themselves to each other while they had lived, protected, and fought alongside one another. If this was how Xitus wished to conduct the mild questioning, he would get absolutely nothing out of the Spartan.

"Second Class Petty Officer Spartan-II, Jessie-057. Second Class Petty Officer Spartan-II, Jessie-057." Xitus momentarily halted his stalking to peer at the female, head slightly tilted in the same manner Vora did when he was curious. Jessie slowly blinked her eyes to banish the correlation between Vora and the Fleetmaster from her mind. The two were not alike, not in the least.

"You do understand I am asking nicely," Xitus settled his hands on his weapons belt. "I am granting you a rather, safe, conversation." He purposely left 'interrogation' out of the sentence. He did not feel it accurately reflected his talking and the Demon's ignoring him.

Jess only moved her eyes to meet the Fleetmaster's expectant gaze.

"Empty promises of safety for the ship I serve on at the end of the war will get you no where." Her voice was flat and emotionless. Posture still stiff, but her eyes followed 'Mronee's movements.

He snorted light amusement through his nose. "Humans fear their own death and will sacrifice others without a second thought," Xitus turned back to the viewport. "You are condemning thousands of men and women to their deaths."

Jessie clenched her fists behind her back and tried to burn a hole through the back of the Fleetmaster's head with her eyes. He was still trying to guilt her into submission?

"They will survive on their own." She stated evenly.

This time Xitus looked over his shoulder at the soldier, "If your ship's safety you do not want to guarantee, then there must be something else you wish to protect," Jessie was still trying to figure out his illusive angle. "Say, a certain heretic locked up on this very cruiser?" Xtius' gaze bored into the Demon.

Her eyes snapped to his, but she remained pointedly quiet.

A sly, knowing smirk began to spread over Xtius' mandibles. "He is doomed to die. But, I can ensure his safety if you only give me what I want."

Jessie watched the destruction out the window, no longer meeting the Elite's penetrating gaze.

He drew nearer again and made smaller, slower circles round the Demon in black armor.

"Demons are surprisingly selfless creatures. Yet you chose to protect one over many. An individual of a different species none the less. How do you know he will not kill you as soon as he is free? He has a much more promising future with his own people than a mere human. He must miss the company of his own kind over that of sniveling humans," Xitus was getting no rise out of her. "But, he is the one you see as most important to save. I only have so much time to save him. He is living on borrow time. Tell me where the escaped vessels are and I promise the Shipmaster will not die branded a heretic."

"Lies," Jessie's voice was quieter due to the Fleetmaster's proximity. "All of it lies. You are powerless to promise any sort of amnesty whether it be a heretic or human ship," she settled her steely eyes on him, "You have no control over those decisions."

Xitus' smirk twisted into a frown. He looked to the Heirarch still on the bridge. The shriveled alien nodded his head once, directing his hover chair to the exit followed by his guard. His hand resting on the lip of his belt slowly wrapped around the hilt of his energy sword. As much as catering a live Demon would improve his family name for generations, a dead Demon was for the greater good in the grand scheme of things. And the Heirarch had sealed her fate with a nod of his wrinkly head.

"_Shit."_ Jess recognized the familiar 'go for the energy sword' grasp she had seem all to many times. The Fleetmaster was deceptively calm and she apparently had not seen the pathetic interrogation escalating as much as it had. She knew the bridge was still full of armed and unfriendly troops, but she was not going to just stand here and get cut down! She was going to reach for the energy sword herself, but Xitus made the first move, disrupting her. His rough hands latched onto the side of her head. His claws dug into her scalp and neck, jerking her to the side. His energy sword activated with a simple but powerful flick of the wrist and was brought to bear.

'Mronee raised the sword up, but his swing was blocked by Jess' black gauntlet. He pressed down on her arm with is own, but the two soldiers were evenly matched.

"You only delay the inevitable." Xitus growled through clenched mandibles.

"I do my best." Jessie grunted, trying to regain the few inches her arm dropped. Feeling her arm begin to tremble under Xitus' powerful assault, Jessie quickly pulled her arm back as she yanked herself from the Fleetmaster's grip.

Xitus dropped the strands of hair in his fist, frustration rumbling in his chest. Jessie had put a few feet between them and had taken a defensive stance to increase her odds against an armed opponent. A rapid glance behind her revealed none of the Elites on the bridge had yet come to their leader's aid.

If she could over power one of them, Jessie would stand a much better chance against the Fleetmaster. But, even if she managed to arm herself, she was severely outnumbered. And, in the off chance she managed to take control of the command center, there was still a lot of unknown space and hostile aliens between her and Vora plus any type of escape.

Telling herself to focus on one thing at a time, the immediate present taking precedence, Jessie dodged Xitus' first swipe. The hot blue blade sizzled as it passed mere inches from the side of her head. Any closer and his attack would have lopped her head from her shoulders. The Zealot was obviously very skilled with his weapon, but seemed to be taking his time in his attacks.

Jessie swung her leg right after the sword once again came dangerously close to her head. While 'Mronee was busy with his follow through of the swing, her heavy boot collided with his unarmored knee. The metal of her boot bit into the bodysuit and flesh, but she did not hear the joint snap.

Xitus only sounded angrier as he jabbed towards her midsection. The sharp tips scrapped against the bodysuit covering her stomach and Jessie could see the gold fizz of her shields immediately depleting. She did not need her helmet to tell her she had to be very careful until her shields managed to load again. Jessie lunged away from the Elite, but his sword drug two sharp lines right to left in the armor protecting her chest, thankfully not going any deeper.

"Sir!" Jessie heard one of the warriors raise his voice in the native Sangheili tongue. "One of the cruisers just reported they may have a lead on the _**Triumphant Declaration**_'s Slipspace trajectory!"

Xitus 'Mronee pulled his next swing and motioned to the two warriors who originally escorted the Demon to his bridge. He stared hard at the female, but did not try to strike her down. She clenched her teeth and shook her head to flick loose hair out of her eyes.

"I will finish with you later." He growled to the Spartan. She stood straight and held her head high, solid gaze meeting Xitus' challengingly. He wanted to strike the look from her face with his sword but he retrained himself, returning the hilt to his belt and taking a calming breath.

The guards both approached Jessie and firmly gripped her upper arms.

"Take her to the detention block and inform 'Astiree of the change." Fleetmaster 'Mronee commanded. He swung around to face the warrior who had interrupted the fight, face expectant.

Jess knew the interruption was serious if it kept the Fleetmaster from continuing his efforts to kill her. She only cursed that the exchange was not happening in english and she was still without her helmet, cutting off any basic translation aid.

Xitus waved the trio away and continued his exchange with the officer.

_**FLEET OF IMPERIAL RIGHTEOUSNESS-HOLY RESERVE**_**-13:00 HOURS**

The _**Holy Reserve **_had entered Slipspace a few hours ago. If Vora's calculations were correct and their destination actually was _**High Charity**_, then he would only have a few more jumps through space until any chance at escape would be practically impossible. He guessed the ship would be exiting the faster than light travel within an hour or two before preparing the coordinates for the following jump back into Slipspace.

As he was pondering the distance they had traveled based solely on his space travel experience and the time displayed on his gauntlet, the _**Holy Reserve**_ shuddered and lurched as it made a rapid exit from slipspace. The deceleration was more rapid than usual and Vora drew his eyebrow together in question. He gracefully got to his feet and stood near the forcefield of his cell as he heard commotion by the door of the detention center.

Two Sangheili lugged a very peeved looking Jessie into the center. Vora watched silently as the forced the Demon into the cell across from his and turned on the forcefield door as she watched with a scowl.

As the pair of warriors left, he looked at her through the distorted purple field. She gave a frustrated sigh, but soon caught sight of the person in the cell across from her. The accommodations where now certainly better than wherever 'Astiree had kept her. Her face relaxed and a small smile graced her lips as she said, "Imagine seeing you here." Jessie may not have armed herself or found a way off this damn bucket, but she had located Vora. The little voice in the back of her head saying the Fleetmaster may have already gone ahead and disposed of the Shipmaster went silent as soon as she laid eyes on him.

He placed his palms on the field and said, "I was afraid the Fleetmaster had you killed." His voice was muffled, but Jessie could hear him none the less.

"He certainly tried, but I'm no worse for wear." She responded.

"You did not look in good shape the last I saw you." Vora said. Referring to their last meeting when they were both brought on board the _**Holy Reserve**_.

"Neither did you." Jessie looked him up and down , but nothing new or worrisome jumped out at her.

"True, but I am simply glad both of us are still on our feet," Vora gazed across the small hall and pressed his palms more firmly against the field. "Where were have you been?"

"I was placed under the watch of 'Astiree,"

"Yes." Vora interrupted.

"I was unconscious for most of the time. I woke and we…had a…brief altercation," Vora's healed was tilted to the right. "I broke two of his mandibles." She said nothing more to the extent of the altercation between her and Bof.

"I am sure he deserved the broken bones." Vora said darkly. Still intent on carrying out his promise to kill the Sangheili if he ever saw him again.

"Yes, he certainly did. Afterwards, I was taken to the command center by two soldiers. The Fleetmaster tried to get me to answer his questions. When I didn't, he tried to kill me. An officer on the bridge interrupted with something that sounded urgent, but he was speaking Sangheili. Now, I'm here." she glossed over a lot of the detail and didn't go in depth about her conversation with the Fleetmaster either.

"Hmmm, " Vora hummed, taking in what Jessie had told him. "I can only guess what the officer told 'Mronee," He raked his eyes along the floor as if looking for the answer. "In the meantime, we need to figure out what to do."

"My helmet is in 'Astiree's room and I don't know where any of our weapons are, or your helmet. Not much of a start." Jessie was inspecting the seams of the forcefield, trying to find any sort of weakness she could exploit.

"These cells are not made to be broken out of."

"Well, that's great," Jess huffed. Vora chuckled lightly despite their situation. "Someone has got to power the shield down for something. Maybe the Fleetmaster will want to speak to one of us? The guards could be over powered." Jessie's mind was running a mile a minute.

"A carrier this size is bound to have slipspace worthy Phantom. The only trouble is getting to the dropship without getting shot then making a jump without encountering the same fate."

"Can such a small ship's hull withstand slipspace?"

"If I pick the right one, yes." The pair fell silent as they tried to each come up with a foolproof plan to get themselves back to relative safety.

Jessie began to pace the shape of the square cell, arms crossed in front of her body, head dipped in thought.

Vora watched her pace and found it difficult to think about escape when the Demon was so near yet so far from him. He tapped a long finger against the metal as he thought. He was startled out of his mild reverie when Jess' head shot up.

"I've got it!"

_**FLEET OF IMPERIAL RIGHTEOUSNESS-HOLY RESERVE**_**-14:20 HOURS**

"One of the cruisers disabled during the _**Triumphant Declaration's**_ escape managed to pick up on the two ships last minute transmissions," the officer continued to explain to Fleetmaster 'Mronee as the officer's younger counterpart sifted through the garbled mess of information. "One of their technicians thought they found what looked like slipspace trajectories for both the human and heretic ship, but the numbers were incomplete."

"A random jump." Xitus said lowly. The Heirarch had yet to return to the command center to advise the Fleetmaster. His last instructions had been to carry on to _**High Charity**_ instead of chase after the lost ships. Rather than instigating a wild goose chase, the Fleetmaster had some coordinates to work with. Better to wipe out all the entire infection than expecting it to pitter out when one man died.

Xitus stood to his full height, muscles in his back tightening as he crossed his arms. "Keep searching through the data. Prepare the fleet for a jump into slipspace. We are following the heretics." He ordered roughly.

He could wait to return to _**High Charity**_. 'Mronee had been tasked with finding and extinguishing the small blasphemous movement. He was sure the High Prophets would understand if he spent more time cleaning up the mess than immediately turning home. He would even kill Vora himself if it came to it. Public shaming executions were necessary, but so it stomping out a fire before it got out of hand. To keep him from convincing himself to go take care of 'Ledum right now, the large Fleetmaster turned his attention to another officer calling him by name.

"Fleetmaster 'Mronee," the sangheili was seated in front of a communications terminal. "One of the guards from the detention center wishes to speak with you."

Xitus dipped his head once and stood next to the warrior. The male patched the guard through to the Fleetmaster on the bridge.

"Fleetmaster, the Demon is asking to speak with you," the guard paused as his companion roughly translated what the Spartan said into Sangheili. "She says she is willing to proved the answers you are after." The warrior went silent awaiting his commander's response.

Xitus made a small rumble in his throat as he thought. "Bring her to me." Xitus strode away from the terminal and settled himself into the command chair, waiting for the Demon, triumphant smirk on his face.

**That's the end of the chapter :) Don't know when the next will be out, but it is in the works. I didn't do a whole lot of grammar/spelling checks, so please excuse any mistakes. As always, reviews are welcome.**

**-Masterful-Mind**


	31. Vamoose

_A Spartan's War_

A/N: Enjoy.

_**Thanks to the readers who added my work to their favorites or alert list: rotarydialphone and PaulH024**_

_**Thanks to reviewers: KATT9033**_

**Chapter 31: Vamoose**

_**FLEET OF IMPERIAL RIGHTEOUSNESS-HOLY RESERVE**_**-14:30 HOURS**

Jessie saw the two guards leave the room once more. One of them making a move to activate the com link in his helmet.

"I think this might work." Jess said as quietly as she could, but still have Vora able to hear her comment.

"I still do not like this plan." His face was straight and his voice flat.

"It is the best either of us have come up with and we do not have a lot of options." Jess pressed her forehead against the forcefield trying to get a better view of the doorway at the end of the detention center.

"I should go with you. Two are better than one." He tried to convince the woman not go alone for the umpteenth time since they solidified their shaky escape plan.

"I will be fine, Vora. I'm not planning on leaving this room…not under guard that is."

The warriors walked back into the room and made one made his way to stand in front of Jess' cell.

"The Fleetmaster will see you." He spoke better english than his counterpart. The second solider pressed the release button on the terminal along the wall. The forcefield melted away and Jess stood looking at the guard. She made no immediate move to give the warrior a calm sense of mind.

"This way," he ushered her out of the cell and opened his mouth to say more when he felt a pair of gloved hands crush the sides of his head.

Jessie waited for the guard's head to drop a bit as he motioned for her to walk forward before she made her move. With his head now in reach, she bound forward and latched her palms on both of his cheeks.

She watched his eyes widen as he registered what was happening. He snarled and tried to rip his head from her grasp. Jess yanked his head forward and ground a boot into his knee to drop him closer to her. Before he could struggle anymore, Jess gripped his cheeks strongly and jerked hard to the left. The guard made a muffled gurgle and slouched his weight onto the Demon.

The second guard was now advancing, weapon drawn. Jess let the body in her hands drop and quickly grabbed the plasma rifle off the dead Elite's belt. She leveled it at the second guard and fired. He let his shields absorb the burning plasma and compressed his trigger, not letting up.

Jessie skipped to the side to save more of her shields and fired rapidly at the advancing Elite.

Vora watched helplessly as Jessie faced off against the second guard. As far as he could tell, neither of the guards had raised any alarm which bode well for the duo. He pound his fists on the forcefield even though he knew the attempt to break out would be futile. He mentally urged Jessie on.

Finally, the Elite succumbed to plasma fire and could not get out of the way once his shields died. Jessie ran over to the terminal and began hunting for the button that would release Vora.

"I can't read any of this. A little help?" She called out to him.

"The button should be on the left side. Shaped like a circle with three short lines bisecting it." Vora answered back.

"Here it is!" She dropped a fist on it and heard the fizzle and snap of the cell opening. "Catch," She tossed her plasma rifle to Vora. He caught it easily and began to pat down the body nearest to him, finding a few plasma grenades. Jessie came away with a plasma rifle and pistol she attached to the magnetic holster on her hip. "We don't have much time until someone realizes something has happened. You know the way to the hanger?"

Vora stepped over the two Sangheili corpses and stood before Jess. "Yes, we are only a few levels above it." His eyes raked over her face. He desperately wanted do something to show his appreciation of seeing her again, but he knew it was not the right time. They had to get to safety first. He thought he could see the same idea in her eyes as well.

"Safety," Jess said quietly. "We need to escape first. We should make a detour to 'Astiree's room to get my helmet. If things go sideways, I want to be able to survive vacuum."

Vora nodded and the pair darted from the detention center in the direction of the nearest lift.

_**FLEET OF IMPERIAL RIGHTEOUSNESS-HOLY RESERVE**_**-15:00 HOURS**

"Damn, things just got difficult." Jessie shifted and adjusted her grip on the plasma rifle as she guarded Vora. Who was currently working through the lock on 'Astiree's door.

The alarm in the hallway began to wail and small light near the ceiling flashed.

"The bodies must have been discovered…" Vora trailed off as he put all his focus back on picking the lock. He bit the inside of his cheek as the door buzzed indicating it rejecting his attempt o unlock it. He had not tried to pry his way into a locked room in some time and was now realizing how out of practice he was. It was juvenile work he rarely did, but it also proved useful in the field.

"Vora…" Jessie glanced over her shoulder to see Vora still crouched by the door, large fingers tapping rapid cues on the runes below the lock.

"Give me a moment, Jessie…" His voice containing a hard edge, frustrated with the still locked door. Then, a light ping sounded and the door slid open. "I knew I still had it in me."

"Never doubted you for a second." Jess slid her hand along his shoulder and arm as she walked by, sweeping the room with her rifle.

Vora stood and followed his partner into the dark room. "I was half hoping 'Astiree would be cowering in here." He grouched.

"Killing him would have slowed us down."

"True, but he owes me his life none the less."

"Well, isn't that convenient." Jess stopped at the desk her helmet sat on. There, right next to the missing piece of black armor was Vora's helmet and energy sword hilt.

"I will not argue. This is much better than having to abandon my belongings all together." Vora followed Jess' lead and picked up his missing items, returning them to his head and hip.

Jessie locked her helmet to her body suit and ran a few diagnostics to make sure the Covenant had not tinkered with the systems. She turned her gold visor to the taller Elite.

"Ready to go?"

"Stay close to me. It is going to get hectic nearer the hanger. If the _**Holy Reserve**_'s hangers are set up in concordance with Covenant regulations, there should not be much problem securing a Phantom other than firefights." Jessie nodded her head and dashed out of the room after Vora.

_**TRIUMPHANT DECLARATION—LOCATION UNKNOWN-**_**17:00 HOURS**

Joro 'Fonat groaned as the _**Declaration**_ lurched back into regular space. The sudden change in space jerked his unexacting neck and brought the exhausted Snagheili back to his senses. He and his bridge crew had been awake for close to 24 straight hours. Making a few random jumps with the _**Autumn**_, not ready to let their guard down. They had all been trained to go extended periods of time without sleep, but Joro never really got used to it. Let alone enjoy it. Rolling his eyes a few times bend closed lids, he prepared to get going with his business.

Keyes and 'Fonat had decided to stop their running for the time being after they completed their fourth few hour jump. Now, side by side, the two cruisers floated in space. Not making any more immediate preparations to reenter slipspace.

Soon, the holotank began to indicate an incoming transmission. Joro tapped the right command on a screen near him and Keyes' image appeared before him. The man wasted no time.

"Captain Keyes." Joro greeted.

"Ultra 'Fonat. I assume everything is in oder on your part?"

"Yes, we have not detected any ships giving chase. The jumps were successful."

"Good, good," the humans were not able to trace or tell if they had been traced through slipspace. The positive report from their Sangheili company relieved Keyes a bit. "We are in, for the most part, uncharted space. No human inhabited planets in this part of the system to draw any Covenent attention."

"That is to our advantage, unless we wish to land on a planet. Our charts show a few habitable planets, but we will be restricted to our cruisers and any field gear we can deploy." Joro answered back cordially. He knew the Captain knew that as much as the Ultra was aware of no human settlements being in this section of the system. The few exchanged words hid the thought on everyone's mind. _What about those left behind?_

"We do not normally make rescue attempts for Spartans stranded on overrun planets." Keyes laid it out flat.

"You may not try and save your soldiers, but we are duty bound to our Shipmaster. A warriors death is honorable for the Shipmaster, but so is continued service." Joro stated placidly. He was honestly surprised the Captain stated he was not currently considering any effort to recover his lost Demon. He did not let that show of course, but if he were the human leader, he would want to ensure the survival of his strongest warriors. Not leave them to their fate if it in some way could be prevented.

"The fleet around the planet would certainly kill any force sent back." Keyes tried to dissuade the Ultra.

"There is a chance the fleet will have disbanded by now," Joro shifted in his seat and trained his eyes on Keyes' stiff posture. The Captain did not seem entirely comfortable. "Typically, a Covenant force would spend a few weeks glassing the planet, but this task force is small. There goal is to track and eliminate us, heretics, the planet's fate would be a secondary goal their Fleetmaster will more than likely over look." Joro explained to Jacob Keyes.

"There may be a chance the fleet has left the planet, but it is not wise to return. I understand the loss of Shipmaster 'Ledum and Spartan-057, but things are greater than two mere individuals." Keyes turned slightly to look at someone or something outside of the projectors range.

"All on this cruiser are loyal to Shipmaster 'Ledum. I can return to the planet and launch a rescue attempt. The _**Declaration**_ can take care of any remaining forces left behind by the fleet,"

""Fonat-" Keyes interrupted before being cut off by Joro.

"I understand your position Captain, but 'Ledum is vital to our's and your endeavors. Either you are willing to commit troops to the search effort or you are not."

Captain Keyes remained quiet for a moment. He turned to the unseen person addressing him then stead back at the Ultra.

"I do not feel this is a wise course of action, but I have been convinced none the less. You will need back up in case there are more ships left than you anticipate. The _**Autumn**_ will be committed to the effort as long as we drop out of slipspace further into the system and hidden. From there we can send in a small force of dropships to recover what we have lost. Blue Team will be joining the search force. They are eager to get their boots on the ground." Keyes relented.

"We shall take a few hours to prepare for the jumps back. I will alert you when we are ready and send you the best coordinates." Joro nodded his head in goodbye then shut off the holotank's image of the human male.

Once the meeting was concluded, Joro turned his head to spy Janu. The old Sangheili looked very pleased to be returning for his friend and Shipmaster.

_**FLEET OF IMPERIAL RIGHTEOUSNESS-HOLY RESERVE**_**-19:00 HOURS**

"Fuck," Jess whispered to herself. "I'm almost out of shots!" She called to Vora.

"Do not let up!" He shouted back.

The HUD in her helmet showed more and more red contacts descending on their position in the hanger.

Her plasma rifle chocked and sputtered, indicating the inability to shoot any more. Grumbling, she chucked the empty rifle at a grunt and pulled out her partially depleted pistol.

"They are closing us in!"

"Then we have to make a final push for it!" Vora tried not to let any desperation seep into his voice. He knew Jess was simply making accurate battlefield calls, but it was adding to the pressure of getting to the Phantom before either of them were overwhelmed. Noticing the troops closing in around behind him, Vora yanked his sword from this side and started to madly slash through the small bodies before him.

The Sangheili stayed behind and kept up a heavy barrage of plasma fire and constant peppering of plasma grenades.

The Grunts pushed forward in a surging mass of fleshy bodies and methane tanks, doing their best to simply overrun the pair if not shoot them with their pistols.

Jackal snipers took pot shots from the second level gangways in the hanger. Some of their shots connected, but thankfully shields were in tact for the most part.

Jessie gnashed her teeth as she leveled her plasma pistol for another quick shot. She backstopped to stay near Vora has he hacked a path towards the Phantom she could now see in the corner of the massive hanger bay.

"They are deploying turrets!" Hr voice lost its steady edge for a moment and she moved closer to Vora. "We've put up a good fight, but if we stay out here any longer we are going to die," She latched on to Vora's shoulder and gave him a rough push forward. "Run!"

'Ledum glanced back at her before taking off in a powerful run. Jess saw a plasma grenade land too close to him for comfort and the blast knocked him off his feet. She heard his body and armor clatter and collide with the floor. He skidded across the smooth deck and roles before regaining his feet unsteadily at first then taking off in a sure run again.

Jess sighed relief. He would have been a sitting duck if he didn't get up before she reached him. Spinning to strafe fire back at the mob angry aliens, Jess realized their situation really was dire.

When she spun forward again and urged her tired and sore legs to move fast, Vora had already reached the small terminal at the base of the Phantom. He typed madly at the controls and the gravity beam came down from the belly of the dropship.

Vora threw himself into the colored beam and Jess dove for it. He scrambled through the ship to the front and jumped into the pilot's seat. Jess came to a halt behind him and fiercely gripped the head of the seat.

"Get us the hell out of here!"

"I could not have said it bette myself!" With a few strokes, Vora had the small ship in the air and moving towards the hanger exit. As he manipulated the controls, the Phantom shot out of the _**Holy Reverse's**_ hanger and into the starry expanse of space.

_**FLEET OF IMPERIAL RIGHTEOUSNESS-HOLY RESERVE**_**-19:30 HOURS**

Fleetmaster Xitus 'Mronee monitored the deteriorating situation from his post in the bridge. He scowled at the holotank displaying the skirmish in the hanger. The Demon and heretics not having the advantage, but certainly holding their own against the huge number of Covenant. His troops should have been able to kill them by now! Well before they even managed to reach the hanger! Being that close to their freedom spurred them on and the fought harder.

As the pair climbed into the Phantom, the Fleetmaster's sight switched to the viewport and he watched the Phantom streak into the inky blackness.

"Shoot them down! Do not let them jump!" He yelled menacingly to the warriors on the bridge, sharp claw pointing to the window and racing the path of the escaped vehicle. "No survivors!"

The _**Holy Reverse**_ maneuvered into an ideal firing position while another smaller cruiser angled itself to intercept the small craft. Plasma fire painted the black blue as the small fleet opened fire.

Xitus narrowed his eyes in pure anger and his mandibles moved stiffly. The heretic Shipmaster was obviously a very skilled pilot. The Phantom ducked and dodged and spun out of the way of many plasma attacks. The few that landed only seared the hull with no lasting damage.

"I want Banshees in the air." Xitus ordered sternly, jabbing a long finger at an officer.

He growled deep in his chest as two cursers were forced to pull away from their attempt to block the Phantom lest they crash into one another. 'Ledum was toying with them. As the cruisers veered to the side to avoid collision, the Phantom slipped through the small space between their noses. It flipped and returned the way it came, heading straight for the _**Reserve**_.

"Do not let the Phantom past the _**Reserve!**_" Xitus exclaimed. If the dropship made it past the flagship, there was nothing but open space behind the task force. Enough space to attempt to enter slipspace.

The turrets along the body and nose of the CAS carrier trained on the dropship and let loose a barrage of hellfire. The small ship put on an impressive display of defensive flying as it neared the nose of the cruiser. Xitus watched helplessly as the Phantom stopped the fancy flying and powered towards the tip of the ship. Plasma scorched and burned the length of the dropship, but had yet to puncture or disable the craft. A final shot knocked the craft to the side, but it zipped past the viewport and over the _**Reserve**_ and out of visual sight.

Xitus 'Mronee did not move. His hard glare still trained out into space and his stance firm, mandibles held tight against his adrenaline warmed face.

"The dropship is…gone." An officer from the far side of the room said to his Fleetmaster.

Xitus looked left then right out the viewport. He began to walk away, but stopped to peer out into the emptiness of space once more. Then, he clasped his hands behind his lower back and strode from the bridge without a single word. He had news to deliver to the Heirarch.

A few Sangheili exchanged looks as the door swept closed behind their deceptively calm leader. His second in command stood from his terminal and moved to the command chair. He sat silently for a moment, contemplating, before giving a calm order.

**PHANTOM DROPSHIP**_**—LOCATION UNKNOWN-**_**22:00 HOURS**

Jessie sighed in relief as the Phantom completed a completely random jump into slipspace. Her fingers were still stiffly digging into the pilot's chair, but she could feel Vora relax his tight seated posture.

"We made it." He sounded almost incredulous.

"Yes, we made it." Vora tilted his head back to look at Jessie, but he could read nothing from her gold visor. He slipped out of the chair and rose to his full height, a few joints popping with the movement.

Jessie didn't move as Vora came to stand with her. He looked down to her death grip on the headrest and gently laid his large gloved hands over hers. Carefully, he pried the locked digits off the chair and held them loosely in his warm palms.

"Oh!" Jess piped up suddenly. She extracted her hands quickly from Vora and tugged at her helmet. Once the seal had released, it sat in one other hands while she felt around the inside with the other.

"Care to share you thoughts?" Vora had no idea what the woman was doing.

"I knew this would come in handy one of these days. It was inevitable I get into a situation I would need it…" She worried her lower lip in concentration, momentarily diverting 'Ledum's attention. "I had a small distress beacon implanted in the structure of my helmet. Regular distress beacons are too big and obvious to cart around all the time," she withdrew her hand from the inside of her helmet. "The _**Autumn**_ should be able to detect the distress signal if they are in range." She gave Vora a closed lip proud smile. He wagged his mandibles in satisfied response.

"I am very glad you thought of that little detail," He stepped forward and was no more than an arm's length from the Spartan. "Floating out here lost is not much better than being held captive by the Covenant." He was tracing her features with his eyes when something on her neck demanded attention.

He had watched Xitus dig his claw into her cheek, seen the massive Ultra apprehend Jess, and had taken note of the bloody stab wound between her armor and neck gaiter; though, he still planned to ask how that happened. What he knew was not on her neck the last time he had seen her were faint pink scratch marks that looked like intended puncture marks. There were a few spots on her neck gaiter that had been pulled by something small and sharp. Like teeth. And the pink marks on the stop of her neck and bottom of her chin matched the size of spread mandibles.

His vision tunneled and he reached up roughly to pinch her chin between two fingers. Lifting her head to give him a better view of the damage.

"Vora-" Jess's brow knit in confusion.

"What happened? Where did you get these marks?" He brought his face closer to the spots and his mandibles flared as he tried to discern if they really were what he thought.

"Like I said, I had an altercation with 'Astiree." Vora jerked his head back and stared hard in disbelief at Jessie.

"You call that an altercation!?" His fingers tightened on her chin, gloved claws digging into the soft flesh of her face. She pulled her head from his grip.

"It was nothing. I punched him in retaliation and was going to do more before I was stopped."

Vora tried to ease his breathing, but his breath was coming in panted anger. His hormones and pheromones were raging. Blood boiling for more than one reason.

"Did he say anything." He said each word slowly and meaningfully.

"He made comment about you and I and something along the lines of him having claim." Jessie honestly had no idea why Vora looked like he was going to go on a murderous rampage. Some cultural cue she missed or boundary overstepped?

Vora's hands automatically clenched and he forced the tendons to straighten out again. A strong breath of air escaped his nose and he looked deeply at the woman in front of him.

Now he knew. Bof 'Astiree had tried to claim the unknowing female. Puncture the skin of her neck with his teeth while releasing claiming hormones. Someone had tried to contest the initial claiming scent Vora had placed on Jessie all those weeks ago and it was driving the male mad. All the more reason for Vora to wring the whelp's poor excuse for a neck. Marking necks was purely reserved for mates, for an individual one cared whole heartedly for. There was no mistaking it now and Vora could no longer lie to himself. He cared deeply for the female Demon with him and the other male's actions had pushed the envelope too far.

"Vora," Jessie did not like how he clammed up and seemed to suddenly retreat into his own head, fuming. "Talk to me. What's wrong?" She was lost and confused and Vora was acting odd. Tentatively, Jess raised an armored hand to rest on the middle of Vora's neck. The physical contact shook the male from this far off state. He dropped his gaze to look into her questioning and confuse eyes. "What's going on in there?" She asked, hand pressed against the smooth material of the bodysuit covering his neck.

He brought up a hand and placed it possessively over the human one on his neck. His demeanor had changed from angry, but now he seemed…deflated, lost even.

"Talk to me, Vora. I don't understand what is going on." Jess pleaded.

Vora hummed a moment, "'Astiree tried to mark you. Take you away from me." 'Ledume paused.

"Mark me? He didn't so anything to take me away from you. I still don't understand….he said similar thing to me." Jess did not know what to think. This was something from a completely alien culture and she did not know how to react to it. She had no training to fall back on.

"Then let me start from the beginning," He gently squeezed her hand on his neck. "When Sangheili take mates, there must be a way to mark them, claim them as yours. Early in that process, males are able to release a pheromone to mark a female. It is a subtle claim on her. It tells challenges any other male who may want to take the female as his own mate. Whomever the successful male is, and if the female decides to accept him as her partner, they will mate and mark each other to seal their bond. The mark is created by wrapped one's mandibles around the other's throat and puncturing the skin. The marks will scar and remain as a permanent indication of a bonded individual. Typically the marking is completed during…heated moments." Vora finished his explanation and looked expectantly at Jess.

She took all the information in and was processing it as fast as her stunned brain could. Her checks erupted in a flaming blush as the full meaning of the marks came to light, "Oh," she mumbled pathetically. "And this angered you?" She asked quietly.

"Hm," Vora rumbled. "Yes. Yes, this angered me quite a bit. Seem when we had that sparring match many weeks ago, I-" He paused and looked at Jess. She had an eyebrow quirked, having already guessed what he was going to say. "I happened to scent you with an initial claiming scent. 'Astiree challenged that claim, but thankfully failed. I in no way want him touching you at all."

"You scented me without me knowing?"

"Well…" Vora fumbled a moment. "Yes." His eyes looked unsure of himself.

Jessie laughed lightly and a small smile came to her lips. "I'm touched." Was her response.

She had been warming up to the aged warrior for sometime, but she had never been entirely sure where she sat with him. She had been slow to admit her feelings to herself, but this unexcited conversation was actually solidifying the fact she could not ignore the big alien as he seemed unable to do to her. She just had to admit it to herself she liked him first before she could say it to him. But, her Spartan training reared it's head over her womanly feelings and tamped down on her mentally addressing it as say…_love_. No, it really couldn't be that could it? She may be able to tentatively use that term in her mind, but maybe she was reading too much into his response?

"What?" Vora looked confused. He had expected her to shout or hit him, pull away, something. Her soldier nature would show him how wrong he'd been the whole time about his advances towards her. Not be unusually calm and docile, telling him she appreciated his actions.

Jessie continued to look up at him. She rose to her tip toes and wrapped her arms around the base of his neck and shoulders, dropping her helmet forgotten to the floor of the dropship. "I said I'm touched." She said lightly as she pulled his body flush to her. The male did not say a word, but remained stiff for a moment. He relaxed and slung his strong arms around her body to try and eliminate the distance between them all the more. Vora dropped his muzzle into the crook of her shoulder and nuzzled the side of her face.

"I was worried about you when your limp body was hauled out of the bridge." Vora admitted. Voice loud even at the low volume due to his month being near her ear. He pressed his face against her cheek and rubbed again.

"I made a reckless move trying to get us free that soon," She turned her head and brushed her nose against the base of his head. "I was just happy to see you in one piece, though not seeing you at all would have been better. You would have escaped with everyone else. You would have been a million miles away from the mess we just left. Not stuck in a poor situation with me. That monstrous Elite was the one who stabbed me, you know."

"He didn't look to be carrying any close quarters weapon." Vora's eyes had slid close.

"He is now. When we fought planet side, he managed to get a hold of my combat knife. He had my pinned on the ground and stuck it right between my collarbone. I then used it to stab him in the leg, but he kept it. Probably as some sick momento."

As she concluded the brief tale, Vora moved his head to her other side to inspect the stab wound. Cautiously, he dipped his head forward and tenderly drug his warm, rough, and wet tongue across the injury. Jess sucked in an unexacting breath but didn't flinch. Vora placed a light nibble on her jaw while she kneaded his neck softly.

"I'm sorry," He apologized for the war wound. "I know I cannot ask you to refrain from anymore trying fights, but for my sanity, at least try and stay safe when you can."

"As much as I cannot ask you to stop leading a heretic movement that has so far kept you up to your eyes in violence." Jess said, giving his shoulder a harmless slap.

Vora chuckled, "We are soldiers, our life is consumed by trying situations." He commented.

"What a depressing thought." She said back, small smile still on her lips.

"Things will hopefully look up once we are found. In the meantime, I think we should get some rest. As much as I would like to show you how much I appreciate our spectacular escape, our bodies and minds could use some healing." He pulled his head back and loosened his arms a little.

"I think you are right. I'm feeling aches and exhaustion now that the adrenaline is wearing off."

"Take the copilot's seat. I am going to check the slipspace drive then be right back." Jessie nodded and moved off to get comfortable in the rather roomy chair, one meant for a person larger than the armored Spartan. Vora watched her settle down then quietly left the room to check over the dropship.

When he returned, the Demon was out cold. Her breathing was deep and measured, indicating sleep. She was curled in on herself for comfort, but one hand still remained close enough to draw her plasma pistol if the need arose. Vora sat down on the side of the pilot chair and tucked some matted hair behind Jess' ear, noticing a red spot with thinner hair cover than the rest of her head. She just kept racking up the injuries, but none of them had slowed the Spartan in the slightest.

Content she was sound asleep, Vora settled into his chair. He stared out into the expanses of space and let the stars along with the hum of the small ship lull him into a light sleep.

**And that's the second chapter in about a day. Makes up for my absence due to college. Chose to make the real reuniting moment in the Phantom more of a tender meeting than a more heated meeting. And I glossed over a chunk of the escape so I could do a bit more with advancing the plot than filling with fighting. I'm open to reader input/suggestions and look forward to reading reviews. I didn't proof read just so I could get the chapter up, so overlook any glaring grammar/spelling errors.**

**-Masterful-Mind**


	32. Author's Note

_A Spartan's War_

Sorry, this isn't the next chapter. I am actually going to go back to previous chapters and do some editing. I've mentioned this in the past, but I am really going to go through with it rather than get caught up with posting new stuff. Pretty much the changes will be grammar/spelling and then continuity or changes to match the plot I established after the last all chapters edit. The biggest difference will be making my story a little more parallel with Halo canon. I have stated this is an AU story and I am definitely taking creative license, but there are some things in canon I want to add primarily around the Spartan characters/SPARTAN-II Program. Yep. So be on the look out for small changes and there will be big ones.

Don't know when it will be all done, but old updates will happen before any new writing is posted for the most part. Wanted to make sure readers knew what was up. Suggestions are welcome. A late Merry Christmas and an early Happy New Year!

Addition Feb. 22, 2014: I think I may be able to post an updated chapter or two at the end of March when I am freed ever so briefly from college. No guarantee, but it's the best time frame for the moment.

-Masterful-Mind


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